Private & NHS Dentists – Dental Practice Post House, Surrey

Opening Hours: Monday – Friday: 8am – 5pm | Open Alternate Saturdays: 8am – 4pm

If you have been experiencing some severe tooth pain and your dentist has recommended you undergo root canal treatment, you may be worried about how you will cope with the root canal treatment pain.

Firstly, there are many myths commonly circulating about root canal treatment. Most of these myths are simply not true and are based on old fashioned experiences and misinformation. In fact, when you experience pain it is actually coming from the underlying infection within the tooth and is not actually caused by the root canal treatment in any way.

The whole purpose of undergoing root canal work is to remove the tooth infection and eliminate the pain it causes. The actual root canal treatment you have shouldn’t be painful. This is because your dental surgeon will administer a local anaesthetic to numb the whole tooth, the tooth root and the nerves within your teeth and gums.

Immediate pain following treatment

The root canal treatment involves removing the tooth’s nerves so you will no longer feel any pain in your tooth. However, many people believe that you will experience a high level of pain following your root canal treatment. This is, in fact, incorrect because there will be no nerves left in your tooth to feel pain. Your tooth will no longer be sensitive to hot or cold temperatures.

Because having a root canal treatment is quite an invasive procedure, just like any other physical treatment, you will experience some mild sensitivity while the tissues surrounding your tooth begin to heal. In most cases, people can self-treat with over the counter painkillers, but if you find the pain to be too uncomfortable, you can ask your dentist to prescribe anti-inflammatory medication to help the healing process.

Is it worth having a root canal treatment?

Many dental patients that are in need of root canal treatment may question whether it is worth having at all. Many will believe that simply having the infected tooth completely extracted will be a better solution. Some people even believe that you will eventually lose the tooth anyway, so why not have it taken out instead of treated?

It can be well worth the effort of having root canal treatment, especially because by doing so you can actually save your tooth from being removed. This means that you will not need to look at having any tooth replacement treatments such as a dental implant or denture.

Modern Dentistry and dental technologies have advanced massively over the past 25 years. In Post House Dental our Clinicians uses cutting edge technologies to make Root canal procedure comparatively quicker, effective and more accurate. Some of these technologies include the use of Digital X-Rays, Intraoral cameras, Ultrasonics, Microscopes, and CBCT which enable clinicians to visualise the tooth anatomy more clearly and carry out Root canal treatment more effectively.  

But, my tooth isn’t even painful

It can be a surprise to many people to learn that you can need to undergo root canal treatment even if your tooth doesn’t hurt and isn’t causing you any pain.

Your dentist may discover that you have a severe tooth infection during your regular dental check-up. They will be able to check to see if the tooth’s pulp is infected or damaged, even if it is causing you no pain. If left untreated the condition can worsen and you will eventually feel pain and will need even more intensive treatment to correct the issue.

The whole reason for root canal treatment is to save your tooth. Your tooth and its roots will remain behind in a better state of health following treatment to remove the pulp and infected tissue.

If you think you need a root canal, do not hesitate to consult your dentist.