Crowns, implants & major work
Root canal treatment
Saves a tooth whose nerve is infected or dying. Usually two visits, and no more uncomfortable than a filling.
Inside every tooth is soft tissue — the pulp — in narrow canals. When it becomes infected, cleaning and sealing those canals relieves the pain and lets you keep the tooth.
Back teeth usually need a crown afterwards to stop them cracking; we include that in the quote so there are no surprises.
What happens, step by step
- 1
Numb the tooth and place a rubber dam
- 2
Open, clean and shape the canals
- 3
Medicate and seal temporarily
- 4
Second visit: fill the canals permanently
- 5
Crown, if it is a back tooth
Afterwards
- Chew on the other side until the permanent restoration is on
- Ibuprofen usually controls the tenderness
Questions patients ask
Is it painful?
The procedure itself is done numb and feels like a long filling. The pain people remember is the infection before it, which the treatment relieves.