What is root canal therapy?

Root canal therapy is an endodontic procedure necessary when the pulp (the nerve and blood supply of a tooth) becomes injured or infected. This often occurs due to a large, deep cavity (decay) or fracture. The procedure involves removing the infected or damaged pulp, disinfecting the tooth structure, and then sealing the canals inside the root where the pulp was removed. A root canal aims to save your natural tooth and prevent infection from forming or spreading into the jaw, which can affect the entire body.

Depending on the location and condition of the root canaled tooth our doctors may recommend a crown or filling to seal the hold where your tooth root was accessed and ensure that the structural integrity of your tooth remains intact.

Why do I need a root canal if my tooth does not hurt?

While tooth pain often signals nerve irritation or damage, sometimes you might not feel any pain at all. When a nerve is damaged or dead, it cannot send pain signals to your brain. Additionally, the infection might not have built up enough pressure around the nerve to trigger a pain signal.

Signs of tooth infection or damage without pain:

“Pimple” on your gums: A small bump, called a fistula, forms when the infection travels from your tooth and creates a pus-filled sac in the soft tissue of your gums. The fistula prevents pressure buildup around the nerve, so pain signals aren’t sent to your brain. Although initially painless, a fistula can indicate a serious issue that needs attention.

Sensitivity to hot and cold food/liquid: Dental sensitivity can result from various causes, often perceived as an annoyance rather than pain. Sensitivity to temperature changes might indicate pulp problems. Our doctors use a diagnostic cold test to evaluate this: a short zing indicates healthy pulp, prolonged pain suggests inflammation, and no pain implies nerve damage or death. Further diagnostic tests will determine the cause.

Discolored tooth: If a tooth is darker than surrounding teeth, it may indicate a “dead tooth.” A dead tooth is painless but can harbor harmful bacteria, leading to more serious issues if left untreated.

Chipped or broken teeth: Even if painless, chipped or broken teeth should be evaluated promptly. Exposed pulp is vulnerable to infection, potentially requiring root canal therapy.

Do Root Canals Hurt?

Root canal therapy is a form of dental surgery. Our doctors use anesthesia to numb the area being treated, so while you might feel some pressure, you won’t feel pain. Post-surgery, some discomfort is normal, including soreness or numbness around the treated area and jaw muscle fatigue from keeping your mouth open.

Most of the time, the stories you hear from your friends, family and the internet that describe root canal therapy as painful are from patients who had the procedure when their tooth was severely infected. Severely infected patients have greater nerve sensitivity because the infection has built up so much pressure in one or potentially multiple (infections can travel to other places in your mouth/body) areas, that your nervous system is on overload sending pain signals to your brain to let it know there is a big problem. Sometime a severe infection can come on quickly (acute) and sometimes it can slowly build over time.

Often early signs of infection and illness have more subtle symptoms or are found through routine examination and diagnostic testing. Early diagnosis of conditions can give you more treatment options that are often less involved and costly than when diagnosed at later stages, where depending on the circumstance options for successful treatments may become limited.

It is important to remember that everyone’s medical situations, pain tolerance levels, and what is “normal” are different, and not to put off evaluation or treatment of your symptoms because of another person’s experience.