A root canal removes infected pulp from inside a tooth, cleans the canals and seals them. It saves a tooth that would otherwise need extraction.
A root canal is needed when decay or injury reaches the pulp inside the tooth. Common signs are prolonged sensitivity to heat, pain when biting, a persistent ache, or swelling. Sometimes there is no pain at all and the problem is found on an X-ray.
Under local anaesthetic the dentist opens the tooth, removes the infected pulp, cleans and shapes the canals, then fills and seals them. Simple cases finish in one visit; infected or multi-rooted teeth often take two.
A treated tooth becomes brittle and usually needs a crown to protect it from fracture, particularly a back tooth. Skipping the crown is the most common reason a root-canal-treated tooth fails later.
The procedure is done under anaesthetic and is not more painful than a filling. The pain people associate with root canals is the infection beforehand, which the treatment relieves.
Extraction costs less on the day, but replacing the tooth with an implant or bridge costs considerably more than the root canal would have.
A properly treated and crowned tooth can last a lifetime.
This page is general information, not dental advice. Treatment suitability, length and cost depend on your own examination — ask the dentist at your consultation.
