The root canal has quite the reputation as a painful, unpleasant procedure. And, without modern dentistry tools and anaesthetics, they would be very unpleasant. However, most of our patients are actually quite surprised at how easy they are.
And, because root canals put an end to tooth pain that can swell into blinding headaches, every patient we do a root canal on is a lot happier after the procedure than before it.
Pain before a root canal
This is the most excruciating part of any root canal. Root canals are caused by rotten roots that need to be extracted. This can happen because of a particularly deep cavity or for a variety of other reasons.
That pain starts with a deep ache in the tooth, but it doesn’t stop there. If left too long, a rotten root will cause sharp headaches that make it almost impossible to think.
Pain during the procedure
To take that rotten root out of the tooth, the dentist has to drill through your enamel and pull out the still-living root. If not for anaesthetics, this would be excruciating. In fact, it would probably be much nicer to just remove the tooth entirely.
However, with modern anaesthetics, there’s little-to-no pain. Most patients feel comfortable during most of the procedure, reporting feeling only a bit of pressure on their tooth.
After surgery pain
Most patients feel immediate pain relief after they get out of the dentist’s chair. However, as with many invasive procedures, the tooth may be sensitive for days afterward. Typically, we recommend eating soft foods and avoiding chewing with the treated tooth. Any persistent pain can be addressed with over-the-counter painkillers.