Root canal treatment: is it as painful as people say?

“Root canal” is one of the most feared phrases in dentistry. In reality, the pain usually comes from the infected nerve — the treatment is what relieves it.

When is it needed?

When decay, a crack or an injury reaches the nerve inside the tooth. Signs include pain that lingers after hot or cold, pain that wakes you at night, pain when biting, a darkened tooth or swelling. Sometimes there are no symptoms and it is found on an X-ray.

What happens

1. The tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic.
2. A small opening is made and the infected nerve is removed.
3. The canals are cleaned, shaped and disinfected.
4. The canals are filled and sealed.
5. The tooth is restored, often with a crown to protect it.

It may take one or more visits.

How does it feel afterwards?

The tooth may be tender for a few days, especially when biting. This usually settles with painkillers advised by the dentist. Avoid chewing hard food on that side until the final restoration is done.

Why not just pull the tooth?

Keeping your natural tooth helps chewing and stops the other teeth from moving. Replacing an extracted tooth later with an implant or bridge is usually more complex.

Avoiding it next time

Treat cavities early — see the stages of tooth decay — and keep regular check-ups.

See where the nerve sits in the tooth decay explorer.