Service 12 of 13
Root Canal Treatment
A root canal removes infected nerve tissue from inside a tooth, disinfects the space and seals it, so the tooth stays in your mouth rather than coming out. Its fearsome reputation is decades out of date: under modern local anaesthetic, it feels like a long filling.
What actually happens
Inside every tooth is a soft core of nerves and blood vessels. Deep decay or a crack can let bacteria reach it, and the resulting infection is what causes the throbbing, keep-you-up-at-night toothache. Antibiotics calm it temporarily; only cleaning out the infected tissue fixes it.
Under local anaesthetic, the dentist opens the tooth, removes the infected core, shapes and disinfects the internal canals, and seals them. The pain relief is usually dramatic and fast, because the treatment removes the cause rather than masking it. Back teeth usually need a crown afterwards to protect the hollowed structure.
The treatment, visit by visit
- 01
Diagnosis
An examination and X-ray confirm the nerve is the problem and the tooth is worth saving.
- 02
Cleaning
Under local anaesthetic, the infected tissue is removed and the canals are shaped and disinfected.
- 03
Sealing
The cleaned canals are filled and sealed to keep bacteria out permanently.
- 04
Restoration
The tooth is rebuilt with a filling, or a crown on back teeth, restoring full strength.
Root Canal Treatment: your questions, answered
Is a root canal painful?
The treatment itself is done under local anaesthetic and most patients feel pressure, not pain. What hurts is the untreated infection beforehand. The root canal is the thing that ends that pain, usually within a day of the first visit.
How many visits does a root canal take?
One or two, depending on the tooth and the severity of the infection. Front teeth with single canals often finish in one visit. Molars have more canals and sometimes need a second visit to complete the cleaning and sealing.
Is the tooth dead after a root canal?
The nerve is removed, so the tooth no longer feels hot and cold, but it remains a living part of your mouth: anchored in bone, supplied by the surrounding tissue and fully functional for biting. Back teeth should be crowned to protect the structure.
What happens if I just have the tooth pulled instead?
Extraction ends the pain too, but it starts new problems: bone loss at the site, drifting neighbours and a gap that eventually wants an implant or bridge. Where a tooth can be saved, saving it is almost always the better and cheaper long game.
A toothache that wakes you at night is an infection asking for attention, and it does not improve on its own. Call the clinic, and we will fit urgent cases into the diary wherever it can stretch.