Is a root canal painful?

The treatment relieves pain rather than causing it. The procedure is carried out under anaesthetic, and most patients find the toothache that brought them in far worse than the appointment that resolved it.

Why not just extract the tooth?

Because there is no full substitute for a natural tooth. Extraction leaves a gap that then needs an implant or a bridge, both of which are more involved than keeping what you already have, and the bone beneath the gap begins to recede once the root is gone.

Will I need a crown afterwards?

Usually. A treated tooth becomes more brittle because the pulp that nourished it from within has been removed, so a crown is normally placed afterwards to protect it from fracture.

My toothache stopped on its own. Do I still need treatment?

Almost certainly yes. When the nerve inside a tooth dies, the pain from that nerve stops, but the infection does not, and it continues into the surrounding bone. Pain that resolves after being severe still needs to be examined.

Restorative Dentistry

Root Canal Treatment in Stockton, CA

Root canal treatment eliminates infection in the pulp of a tooth and protects the decontaminated tooth from future microbial invasion, so you keep your natural tooth.

Request an Appointment (209) 951-3436

Root canal treatment, also known as endodontic therapy, is a treatment sequence for the infected pulp of a tooth. Root canals and their associated pulp chamber are the physical hollows within a tooth, naturally inhabited by nerve tissue, blood vessels and other cellular entities.

Root canals are designed to save the natural tooth. In spite of the many advanced restorations available, most dentists agree that there is no substitute for a healthy, natural tooth.

Signs and symptoms

If you are experiencing any of these, contact our office promptly at (209) 951-3436. Facial swelling and fever in particular should be treated as urgent.

An autoclave in the sterilization room, used to sterilise instruments between patients.

Why treatment becomes necessary

Bacterial infections. Oral bacteria are the most common cause of endodontic problems. They invade the tooth pulp through tiny fissures caused by tooth decay or injury. The resulting inflammation and infection jeopardize the tooth and may cause an abscess to form.

Fractures and chips. When a large part of the surface or crown of a tooth becomes completely detached, root canal therapy may be required. Removing the crown portion leaves the pulp exposed, which can be debilitatingly painful. See cracked or broken tooth.

Injuries. A direct or indirect blow to the mouth can cause a tooth to become luxated or dislodged from its socket. Root canal therapy is often needed after the injured tooth has been stabilized.

Knocked-out teeth. A tooth knocked clean out of its socket is affixed back in place with a special splint, and root canal therapy is then performed to save it. What you do in the first minutes matters enormously. See knocked-out tooth.

After treatment

A tooth that has had root canal therapy is more brittle than it was, because the pulp that nourished it from within has been removed. For that reason a dental crown is usually placed afterward to protect the tooth from fracture.

The alternative to treatment is losing the tooth, and replacing it with an implant or a bridge, both more involved than keeping what you already have.

Recognising an endodontic problem

The signs are not always dramatic, and several of them are easy to attribute to something else:

Inflammation and tenderness in the gums
Throbbing toothache
Pain when chewing or biting
Heightened sensitivity to heat and cold
Persistent bad breath
Swelling of lymph nodes in the neck
Facial swelling
Fever

Facial swelling and fever in particular indicate infection that has moved beyond the tooth. Treat those as urgent and call (209) 951-3436.

What happens afterwards

The tooth is sealed and, in most cases, restored with a dental crown. That restoration is not optional detail, a treated tooth without full coverage is prone to fracture, and a fracture below the gumline can make the tooth unrestorable.

If treatment is not possible

Not every tooth can be saved. Where it cannot, the gap is restored with a dental implant or a bridge, and we will explain the trade-offs before anything is decided.

Preventing the need for one

Most root canals trace back to decay that was treatable earlier as a simple filling. Six-month examinations and X-rays exist to find decay at that stage.

If you have questions or concerns about endodontic procedures, contact our office. Further reading: demystifying root canal treatment.

If a tooth is painful now, call (209) 951-3436. Otherwise you can request an appointment online.

Questions patients ask

Is a root canal painful?: The treatment relieves pain rather than causing it. The procedure is carried out under anaesthetic, and most patients find the toothache that brought them in far worse than the appointment that resolved it.
Why not just extract the tooth?: Because there is no full substitute for a natural tooth. Extraction leaves a gap that then needs an implant or a bridge, both of which are more involved than keeping what you already have, and the bone beneath the gap begins to recede once the root is gone.
Will I need a crown afterwards?: Usually. A treated tooth becomes more brittle because the pulp that nourished it from within has been removed, so a crown is normally placed afterwards to protect it from fracture.
My toothache stopped on its own. Do I still need treatment?: Almost certainly yes. When the nerve inside a tooth dies, the pain from that nerve stops, but the infection does not, and it continues into the surrounding bone. Pain that resolves after being severe still needs to be examined.

Ready to get started?

Much of your first visit is spent explaining your individual treatment and getting to know you, so you can make a decision you feel good about.

Request an Appointment (209) 951-3436