Root canal treatment is not in itself a painful procedure. A tooth may need a root canal because it is already necrotic, or because of irreversible pulp inflammation (pulpitis), most often resulting from an infectious process. In most situations, the tooth can be fully anaesthetised, with greater or lesser ease, so that the patient does not need to feel anything during the procedure. Sometimes, in cases of acute infection, the anaesthetic may be harder to take effect. In such situations, the dentist may have to resort to a slightly more painful anaesthetic technique at the start of the procedure. During the procedure, the patient does not need to feel any pain of any kind, provided the anaesthetic has been given properly. In the first days after the appointment, the response to treatment varies from case to case. Most of the time, the patient feels some discomfort for one to seven days, or no symptoms are reported at all. Rarely, stronger pain may occur, mainly in the first three days. If this happens, the dentist may need to intervene before the next appointment in order to relieve the symptoms. However, such situations are rare and are usually easy to control in terms of symptoms. You should therefore not be afraid of having a root canal treatment. It is a necessary medical procedure to maintain function once the infection has been resolved.

Dr. Ana Cepêda, OMD 9003