If you’ve been told you need a root canal, it is natural to worry about the pain. Many of our patients in Enfield feel apprehensive when they have been told they need a root canal. It’s easy to see why, but the truth is that modern root canal treatment is far less painful than most people expect, and far less painful than the infection it treats.
While you might experience pain before the procedure, this is usually caused by the infection itself – the aim of a root canal is to relieve the existing pain caused by an infected or dying nerve in your tooth. Our experienced Endodontist uses the latest techniques, ensuring that for most patients, root canal treatment is comfortable and effectively pain-free.
If you do experience severe pain after your root canal treatment, it’s important to let our specialist dental team know as soon as possible so that we can help.
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In short, yes, because the alternative is a worsening infection that causes considerably more pain and risk to your health. Although it’s natural to worry, it is important to understand that the main purpose of a root canal procedure is to treat pain and discomfort caused by inflammation and infection of the nerve of your tooth.
Each tooth contains nerves and blood vessels that run through the root canals and into the pulp, which is the soft tissue at the centre of the tooth. The nerves serving your teeth can be damaged by trauma, injury and decay.
This nerve supply gives your tooth the ability to feel hot and cold, but if something goes wrong, the nerve inside the tooth can start to die. This can cause significant pain. In some cases, the pain can temporarily subside as the nerve is dying, which can give a false sense that things have resolved on their own. This is why it’s important not to delay treatment even if the pain eases.
If you have been told you need a root canal, it is essential that we schedule this as soon as possible; an untreated infection can cause even more pain. As the infection progresses, it can lead to an abscess, which can cause other health complications.
Once you have had a root canal and the infection has been treated, any pain you had should begin to improve.
Root canal treatment is always carried out under local anaesthetic for your comfort. This will numb the affected area while the treatment is carried out, so you do not have to worry about being uncomfortable or experiencing any pain during the procedure.
Once you’ve had any endodontic treatment, it is normal to feel some soreness for the first few days after the procedure. This can usually be treated with over-the-counter pain medication. Discomfort typically peaks within the first 24 to 48 hours, and usually settles fully within seven to ten days.
You might also notice some discomfort and sensitivity when biting at first. While your tooth is healing, we recommend eating a diet of softer food to reduce pressure on the area, and chewing on the other side of the mouth to where you had the root canal. This should ease after week two.
After your procedure, you can reduce the risk of further dental complications by taking prescribed medications as needed, and ensuring you keep up a good oral hygiene routine by brushing your teeth twice daily, flossing and following the advice recommended by your dentist.
It is common to experience some discomfort after a root canal procedure, but this does not mean that the root canal has failed or that there is anything wrong with your tooth. Soreness or sensitivity is often a sign that the area is healing, and will subside over time. However, in rare cases, you may experience worsening pain or symptoms which do not improve after your root canal.
There are some ‘red flags’ which you should be aware of; if you experience any of these, please contact us as soon as possible:
According to the British Endodontic Society, root canal treatment has a success rate of up to 90%.
However, in rare cases, root canals can fail. This can occur if the infection you have is long standing, if there is leakage into the root canal from a failing filling, fracture line in the root or a leaking crown.
At Chase Side Dental, we also offer root canal retreatments and apical procedures (where the tip of the root is treated surgically).
If you have had a root canal previously and any discomfort or pain has returned, please contact us as soon as possible so we can begin treating the problem.
The short answer is not usually.
When a tooth dies, then a root canal to remove the dead tissue is not usually painful, as the nerve endings within the tooth do not work. Many of our patients in Enfield have told us that a root canal on a dead tooth feels more comfortable than procedures where the tooth is mostly healthy, although you may feel some mild pressure.
A dead or dying tooth can cause varying levels of soreness, from mildly uncomfortable to significantly painful. When the nerve dies it often causes an infection, which leads to even more pain as the swelling has nowhere to expand inside the tooth, unlike other parts of the body, placing huge pressure on the area around it (the periodontal membrane).
An infected or inflamed periodontal membrane can lead to an abscess, which is often extremely painful and sensitive to the touch. A root canal procedure will treat the infection and therefore the pain from your dead or dying tooth.
In some cases, pain which appears to be coming from your tooth could be coming from your jaw, a neighbouring tooth or your sinuses, and is not necessarily a sign that the treated tooth is not healing. At our Enfield-based practice, our expert dental team will explore all possible sources of soreness so that we can give you the right advice and treatment.
It’s normal to feel apprehensive at the thought of a root canal or other dental procedure, but with years of experience in treating patients, our highly trained Endodontist will give you the treatment you need, using modern techniques to ensure you feel little or no pain during or after the procedure. While some discomfort is possible, many of our patients tell us that the overall process wasn’t as painful as they feared. Root canal treatment is highly effective at treating painful tooth infections, and with our specialist team at Chase Side Dental, you will be fully supported at all times through the process.
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