Root Canal Treatment

A root canal treats infection inside a tooth so the tooth can stay in your mouth. The nerve and blood supply inside the root are removed, the space is cleaned, and it is sealed. At Pearl32 Dentistry and Wellness in Laguna Hills, the tooth is numbed first. Most people feel pressure, not pain. Front teeth often finish in one visit. Molars may take two. A crown usually follows to hold the tooth together.

What is a root canal, in plain terms?

A root canal removes infected or dying tissue from inside the tooth. Each root holds a narrow canal. Inside it sits the pulp: nerve, blood vessels and soft tissue. Decay, a deep crack or a failing old filling lets bacteria reach it. Once they arrive, the pulp does not heal on its own.

The tooth is numbed. A small opening is made through the chewing surface. The canals are cleaned with fine files, rinsed and shaped. They are then filled with a rubber like material and sealed, and the outside of the tooth is rebuilt.

What are the signs you might need one?

The clearest sign is pain that lingers after something hot or cold is removed. A healthy tooth settles within a second or two. An inflamed nerve throbs for thirty seconds or longer. Other signs are pain on biting, a pimple on the gum, a tooth that has darkened, and swelling near the jaw.

Some teeth give no warning at all. The nerve dies quietly and appears as a dark spot at the root tip on an x-ray. That is one reason routine general dentistry visits matter.

Front tooth or molar: how many visits?

Front teeth usually have one canal and often finish in a single visit. Molars have three or four, and sometimes a fifth hiding behind another. More canals means more time, so molars are booked as one longer visit or split across two.

Curved roots, calcified canals and previous work add time. We measure each canal electronically and confirm with x-rays. If a canal is hard to find, a cone beam scan shows the anatomy in three dimensions. Complex cases are seen by a visiting endodontist here in Suite 450. See endodontic care.

How is the tooth numbed, and what if you are anxious?

Local anesthetic does the work, and that is the part that matters. Numbing gel goes on first, then the injection goes in slowly. A lower molar with a hot nerve can be stubborn, so a second technique inside the tooth is sometimes needed. We test before starting and add more if you feel anything.

Anxiety is common and workable. Nitrous oxide is breathed through a nose piece and clears in minutes. Oral sedation is a pill taken an hour before, and you will need a driver. IV sedation is available for longer appointments, administered and monitored by a provider who holds the California permit for it.

Why does the tooth need a crown afterward?

A treated back tooth needs a crown because it is weaker than it looks. The access opening and the original decay remove structure. Chewing force on molars is high. Without full coverage the tooth can split down the middle, and a split root usually cannot be saved.

Front teeth are different. If the tooth is otherwise intact, a bonded filling may be enough. We take a digital scan and design the crown here. The in-house mill finishes most crowns in one visit, so the tooth is protected sooner rather than weeks later.

What a root canal will not do

A root canal will not make the tooth as strong as it was. Structure has already been lost to decay or fracture. We answer that with full coverage on back teeth and a night guard if you grind.

It will not repair a crack running into the root. We check for that with a bite test and a cone beam scan first, and we tell you when the outlook is poor. It will not last forever either. Published survival rates run around 85 to 95 percent at ten years when the tooth is crowned and kept clean. Teeth that fail can often be retreated.

What does a root canal cost?

Cost depends on the tooth and the number of canals, and it is quoted in writing, itemized, after an examination. We will not quote a figure over the phone, because the x-ray decides the treatment. The estimate separates the root canal from the crown so you can see both.

We are in network with most major PPO plans and Delta Dental HMO, and we send the estimate to your plan before you commit. Third party financing is available and the practice is not the creditor, through CareCredit, Cherry, Sunbit and Happen Bank (formerly LendingClub). See financing or our membership plan.

Questions people ask about root Canal Treatment

Does a root canal hurt?

Most people say it feels like a long filling. The tooth is numbed with local anesthetic and tested before we begin. Pressure and vibration are normal. Sharp pain is not, and we add anesthetic if you feel any. Soreness for two to four days afterward is common and usually responds to ibuprofen.

How long does the appointment take?

A front tooth usually takes sixty to ninety minutes. A molar with three or four canals takes ninety minutes to two hours, and is sometimes split across two visits. We book the time the tooth needs rather than rushing it. If you are having sedation, plan for a longer stay in Suite 450 and bring a driver.

Can I go back to work the same day?

Most people do after local anesthetic alone. Your lip and tongue stay numb for two to four hours, so avoid chewing on that side until feeling returns. After oral or IV sedation, take the rest of the day off and have someone drive you. Our hours are Monday to Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM.

What happens if I wait?

The infection does not settle on its own. Bacteria move out of the root tip into the bone, and the area of bone loss grows. Pain often comes and goes, which makes waiting feel safe when it is not. A tooth that could have been treated can reach the point where extraction is the only option.

Is it better to pull the tooth instead?

Keeping your own tooth is usually the simpler path. The root holds bone and keeps neighboring teeth in position. Extraction is reasonable when the root is fractured, when little tooth remains above the gum, or when gum support is poor. We show you the images and lay out both paths, including an implant, with costs in writing.

This page is general information, not a diagnosis. What is right for you can only be decided after an examination.