Root canal treatment in Erbil: steps, pain and recovery

When decay or a crack reaches the nerve inside a tooth, the tooth hurts, reacts long to hot and cold, or an abscess forms. Root canal treatment (endodontic treatment) removes the infected nerve, cleans the canals and seals them — and keeps your own tooth in your mouth.

Signs you may need a root canal

• Pain that lingers for minutes after cold or hot drinks.
• Throbbing pain that wakes you at night.
• Swelling or a small “pimple” on the gum.
• A tooth that has turned grey after a knock.

Only an examination and an X-ray can confirm it — see dental X-rays explained.

What happens, step by step

1. Anaesthesia — the area is numbed; the treatment itself should not hurt.
2. Opening a small access in the tooth.
3. Cleaning and shaping the canals with fine instruments and disinfecting rinses.
4. Filling the canals with a sealing material.
5. Restoring the tooth with a filling — back teeth usually need a crown later so they do not crack.

Most teeth are finished in one or two visits.

After the treatment

Mild soreness for two or three days is normal and usually settles with an ordinary pain reliever taken as the label says. Avoid chewing hard food on that side until the final restoration is placed. Call the clinic if swelling grows or pain gets stronger instead of weaker.

Root canal or extraction?

Keeping your natural tooth is almost always better: an extracted tooth leaves a gap that later needs an implant or bridge. If you are afraid of the treatment, read root canal: myths and facts.

At DR. ELAF Dental Clinic in Dream City, Erbil, Dr. Elaf explains your X-ray before anything starts. Book an examination.