What to Expect During a Root Canal

If your dentist has recommended a root canal, it’s completely natural to feel a little nervous. The term itself can evoke anxiety. However, root canals are far more routine and far less painful than most people think.

Thanks to modern dentistry, this common procedure can actually be one of the most effective ways to relieve pain and save your tooth. Get to know what to expect before, during, and after the procedure to help ease your worries and make the experience more comfortable.

The Real Deal on Root Canals: What to Actually Expect

Let’s be honest, the words “root canal” probably don’t make you think of a fun time. They have a reputation for being scary and painful, but that reputation is totally outdated. In reality, a root canal is a superhero procedure that saves a badly damaged tooth and relieves your pain.

Think of it like a life-saving surgery for your tooth. When the inside of your tooth gets infected, a root canal cleans it out and seals it up, allowing you to keep your natural tooth instead of having it pulled. This guide will walk you through the entire process, from the first sign of trouble to a full recovery, so you can see there’s truly nothing to fear.

Why Would You Even Need a Root Canal?

To understand a root canal, you first need to know what’s inside a tooth. Underneath the hard, white enamel is a softer layer called dentin, and at the very core is the “pulp.” The pulp is a soft tissue filled with nerves, blood vessels, and connective tissue. It’s what kept the tooth alive while it was growing.

A root canal becomes necessary when this inner pulp gets inflamed or infected. This can happen for a few reasons:

A Deep Cavity: When a cavity isn’t filled, bacteria can eat through the enamel and dentin and reach the pulp.
A Cracked or Chipped Tooth: An injury can create an opening for bacteria to sneak inside.
Repeated Dental Procedures: Many large fillings on the same tooth can sometimes stress the pulp over time.

When the pulp gets infected, it can cause a serious toothache, sensitivity to hot and cold, swelling in your gums, or even a pimple on your gum near the tooth. Untreated, the infection can spread to the bone around the tooth root, creating an abscess, and potentially leading to bone loss. A root canal stops this in its tracks.

Step 1: Getting Ready and Getting Numb

Your journey starts with a consultation. Your dentist will talk to you about your symptoms and take X-rays. These X-rays are important because they let the dentist see the shape of your tooth’s roots and check how far the infection has spread.

On the day of the procedure, the first and most important step is making sure you’re completely comfortable. The dentist will administer a local anesthetic to numb the area around the tooth. This is the same kind of numbing you get for a filling.

You’ll feel a small pinch from the needle, and then the area will quickly become numb. For many people, the most painful part of the whole experience is the initial pinch of the anesthetic. After that, you shouldn’t feel any sharp pain.

If you’re someone who gets really nervous at the dentist, this is the time to speak up! You can discuss sedation options, like nitrous oxide (“laughing gas”), which helps you feel deeply relaxed while still being awake. Once you’re numb, the dentist will place a small sheet of rubber called a “dental dam.” The dam will keep the tooth clean, dry, and isolated from the rest of your mouth during the procedure.

Step 2: The Step-by-Step Procedure

Now for the main event. While it might sound complicated, the process is very straightforward for a trained dentist.

Access: The dentist will make a tiny opening in the top (crown) of your tooth to reach the pulp chamber inside.
Cleaning: Using very small instruments, the dentist will carefully remove the infected or dead pulp tissue from inside the tooth. They’ll clean and scrub out the entire inner chamber and the tiny canals that lead down into the roots of the tooth.
Shaping and Disinfecting: The canals are then shaped so they can be filled properly. They’re flushed with special antibacterial solutions to make sure all the germs are gone.
Filling: Once the inside of the tooth is perfectly clean and dry, the dentist fills the empty space with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha. This seals the canals to prevent bacteria from getting back in.

During all of this, you shouldn’t feel pain. You will feel some pressure and movement, and you’ll hear the sounds of the tools, but it shouldn’t be painful. The entire process usually takes between one to two hours, depending on how many roots the tooth has.

Step 3: Healing and Protecting Your Tooth

After the procedure is over, the numbness will take a few hours to wear off. It’s completely normal to have some tenderness or mild soreness in the area for a few days. Kind of like how a muscle feels after a workout. You can usually easily manage this with over-the-counter pain relievers like ibuprofen.

Because the structure of the tooth is now hollowed out, it’s more brittle and needs protection. That’s why a root canal is almost always followed by placing a crown. A crown is a custom-made cap that fits over the tooth, restoring its strength, shape, and appearance.

You’ll likely get a temporary filling or crown at the end of your root canal appointment. Then you’ll come back a few weeks later to have the permanent crown placed. It’s very important to avoid chewing hard foods on that tooth until the permanent crown is on.

The Big Picture: Saving Your Smile

At Howard County Smiles, we see root canal therapy as a tooth-saving procedure. The goal is always to help you keep your natural teeth for as long as possible. While an extraction might seem like a quicker solution, removing a tooth can cause other problems, like your other teeth shifting out of place, difficulty chewing, and bone loss in your jaw.

A root canal, followed by a crown, lets you maintain your natural bite and beautiful smile. If you’re experiencing a persistent toothache, sensitivity, or swelling, don’t wait for it to get worse. Contact our office today at (410) 415-9013 or request an appointment online. We’re here to answer all your questions, ease your mind, and provide the care you need to get back to a healthy, pain-free smile.