Does a root canal really hurt? An honest answer

Almost every patient who sits down for a root canal has already decided it is going to be awful. That reputation was earned decades ago, with older anaesthetics and slower instruments. It is out of date.

What is actually causing the pain

The pain you arrive with comes from pressure inside an infected pulp chamber. There is nowhere for that pressure to go, which is why it throbs at night when you lie down. A root canal removes the infected tissue and releases that pressure — which is why most people feel better the same evening.

What the appointment feels like

• Local anaesthesia until the tooth is completely numb. We test it before starting.
• A rubber dam keeps the area dry and stops anything reaching your throat.
• Rotary instruments clean the canals. You will hear a soft whirring, not drilling.
• The canals are sealed, and a temporary or permanent filling goes on top.

Most single-canal teeth are finished in about an hour.

Afterwards

Mild tenderness on biting for two or three days is normal. Regular painkillers cover it. If the pain is increasing rather than settling after 72 hours, call us — that is not typical and we want to see you.

The honest bit

A root canal is not free and it is not five minutes. But it saves a tooth that would otherwise be extracted, and an extraction eventually costs more — in money and in bone.