Root canal treatment can be very scary, and many people worry about whether the treatment will hurt. But, fear not - thanks to a good anaesthetic, a root canal treatment doesn't feel like anything. Find out here how to have a smooth root canal treatment at Hammas Mehiläinen.
- Root canal treatment means that the dentist treats an infected pulp of a tooth.
- Root canal treatment usually requires two visits to the dentist.
- Our dentist will always perform the anaesthetic so carefully that you will not feel any pain.
The most common reason for root canal treatment is an advanced cavity that has caused the tooth core to become inflamed. Another fairly common reason is that the tooth has become decayed and infected due to an accident. The infection is caused by bacteria that have entered the tooth's root canals.
In a root canal treatment, the dentist treats the infected core of the tooth. Root canal therapy can prevent the infection from spreading and save the tooth.
The actual root canal treatment usually requires two visits to the dentist. Depending on the tooth, one visit takes 50–90 minutes.
This is how a root canal treatment proceeds:
First visit
- The dentist examines your tooth and the tissues surrounding the tooth. If necessary, they will take a new X-ray.
- The dentist will carefully anaesthetise your tooth.
- The dentist will use a drill to open the chewing surface of the tooth enough to access the root canals. At this point, at the latest, they will place a protective sheet around the tooth to isolate it from the oral cavity. The dentist measures the dimensions of the root canals using a dental caliper.
- The dentist opens the root canals and widens them slightly. In between, they rinse the canals with a disinfectant rinse.
- Finally, the dentist places a root canal preparation in the canals and a temporary filling on the tooth.
Second visit
- You will be given an anaesthetic if you wish, but at this stage of the root canal treatment, the tooth should be numb.
- The dentist will again place a protective cloth around the tooth, remove the temporary filling and flush the medicine out of the root canals.
- The dentist then checks the dimensions of the root canal by using a root canal meter and x-rays. Then, they place the filling in the root canals and cover the tooth.
- Finally, it is time for the x-ray. This shows that everything is as it should be in the root.
Third visit
On the third visit, the dentist fills or crowns the tooth.
You should have your tooth crowned if you have lost more than one wall of a crown. Crowning increases the age and durability of the tooth.
After a root canal treatment, you can eat and drink - although immediately after the visit, it may be a bit of a challenge because of the anaesthetic.
A root-canaled tooth may be sensitive for a couple of days. The combination of anti-inflammatory drugs and paracetamol usually works well for toothache.
The time for a follow-up appointment is a year or so after the root canal treatment. This is when your dentist will determine whether your tooth needs further monitoring or can be declared healthy.
A lot of people are nervous about root canal treatment and fear pain – for nothing.
Your dentist will anaesthetise your tooth so well that the root canal treatment won't hurt. If you want, you can have an anaesthetic even if you have a numb, dead tooth.
If you're nervous about a root canal treatment, tell your dentist how you feel. All of our dentists can take dental fear (ohjaus Hammaslääkäripelko-sisältöön) into account, but we also have dentists who are specially trained in patients with dental fear. They have a wide range of relief options to alleviate dental fear.
The cost of root canal treatment varies depending on the type of treatment you have and how long it takes. Your dentist will be able to give you a price estimate on your first visit.
The price does not have to be a barrier to having a root canal treatment. At Hammas Mehiläinen, you can take advantage of different payment methods. You can pay for the root canal treatment flexibly, for example, by invoice or instalment payment.
The specialist interviewed for the article was Nina Mandelin, our dental specialist in root canal treatment.
Root canal treatment: Your dentist will consider that, after root canal treatment, they can restore the crown of your tooth to its original shape.
Tooth extraction: The dentist cannot repair the crown part, there is a crack below the bone line, or the infection is very extensive and threatens to spread to other parts of the body.
Often your tooth is asymptomatic and your dentist will discover the need for root canal treatment by chance from an x-ray during a dental check-up.
Sometimes sudden symptoms indicate an infection in the root canal. For example, you may feel a sensation in your tooth:
- aching and numbness
- tenderness when you eat or touch the tooth
- a lingering sensation of a chill from being cold or hot
Root canal treatment does not hurt because our dentists carefully anaesthetise the tooth. If you want, you can also have anaesthesia even if you have a dead tooth, i.e. a tooth that is completely numb.
Root canal treatment under anaesthesia is not very common. Since there are usually two treatment sessions, root canal treatment would require two anaesthetics.
If you would like more information about dental treatment under general anaesthesia, please contact ajanvaraus@mehilainen.fi and we will tell you more.
A dentist will assess the condition of your oral and dental health and give you personal recommendations on how often you should have a dental check-up.
