Does a root canal hurt?
Does a root canal hurt? In order to fully answer that question it is crucial you understand that most of the common knowledge of what is a root canal treatment or therapy is in fact based in misconceptions, because root canal treatment isn’t regarded well by most people. It is widely accepted that this procedure is one of the most painful types of dental treatment that a patient can undergo, but believe me, not having a root canal done is worst than what you may experience in your dentist.
Root canal treatment is also called endodontic treatment, and it is required when the tooth pulp (the tooth nerve) is affected by a problem, normally tooth decay that reaches the tooth pulp. When this happens you may experience extreme pain, and in most cases it won’t go away even with strong drugs or medication.
Medication itself may help to control the pain, but the main problem affecting your tooth is still there: the tooth pulp infection. If you don’t take action your tooth will hurt for several days to weeks until the tooth nerve dies and only then you’ll feel better. The problem is if you insist in not looking for professional help it will then evolve to an abscess which is an infection of the bone surrounding the roots tips or apexes and you’ll start to experience more pain, eventually fever and in most cases the area of your face in relation to the affected tooth will swell and become distorted. Root canal treatment is the only option if you want to save your tooth. The other option is tooth extraction.
So at this point you should start to ask yourself not if a root canal does hurt, but rather if you would like to experience what I’ve written above. Let’s take a look at the most common fears involving this type of treatment.
Fear 1 – I’ll experience pain during the root canal treatment and afterwards
Root canal treatment is done under local anesthetic. It doesn’t hurt more than a filling or other procedure. The common association that people make of pain to this kind of procedure stems from the primitive methods used to perform it, added to the rumors, urban myths and the actual pain you feel before the appointment. Believe it or not, many studies show that most people state they didn’t feel pain during the treatment and felt much better afterwards.
Fear 2 – Root canal treatment will take many appointments
In light of recent studies, if the tooth condition allows it, this procedure can be done in a single visit, but each case has its own peculiarities (for example the extent of the infection and the need to have an intracanalar medication) and your dentist may take 2 or 3 sessions, rarely more. Further appointments may be needed to restore the tooth (but these aren’t a part of the root canal treatment itself).
Fear 3 – Endodontically treated teeth don’t last long
There’s a common misconception that teeth subjected to a root canal therapy will hurt again, and won’t last long. The studies show that well performed root canal treatments have a success rate close to 100% in preventing reinfection and subsequent new pain episodes. The studies have also shown, endodontically treated teeth aren’t more brittle than sound teeth. The problem is the restorative option for these teeth isn’t always the best. A full coverage crown is almost always one of the best restorative options for these teeth.
Now you tell me: Does a root canal hurt?
In my opinion, it hurts more not having it done, or losing a tooth because of unjustified fears. Also you should be aware that your teeth don’t have to hurt before root canal therapy is needed. Sometimes the nerve dies “silently” and you’ll still have to get it done to prevent infection and abscesses. Also if you have experienced excruciating pain and you feel better now even though you didn’t go to a dentist, chances are you need root canal done. You’re not experiencing pain right now because the nerve is dead, but you will experience it for sure, when the infection starts to spread to the bone surrounding your tooth.
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Photo credits: radiant guy
Just had two root canal treatments. First was quite painful, Second was AGONY.One channel was ok the other two were agonising. Nearly shot out the chair!! Dentist tried and tied to anaethenize the tooth but to no avail. Still pain.
Apparently I was only the second patient to suffer like this> Lucky white heather!!
Hello Moira! I’m sorry to hear about your bad experience in the dentist chair. Root canals are really a painless procedure most of the times. I’m a dentist, and I can’t imagine why was your root canal that painful. Sometimes when the dentist reaches the tooth nerve you may experience pain, but it is possible to anesthetize it directly, thus eliminating immediately the pain.
I was abolsutely terrified to get my 1st root canal about 3 weeks ago! I was crying the whole way to the dentist office that morning and I couldnt sleep that night. Once the procedure was underway I was having pain just because I wasn’t numb all the way, BE RELIGIOUS ABOUT ASKING FOR ANESTHESIA after the first injection, you cannot feel them!!! I had about 7 injections I would say, and I only felt the first one. After you are numb, the hardest part is just staying awake because it is so boring!!! I thought my dentist was going to drill my tooth all the way to the bone and I would hear that awful sound of the drill, but the drill they use is soo quiet! I didnt even know they were drilling! My dentist gave me vicodin for the pain at night about a week before my procedure, and I didnt use it once after my root canal. The only pain I did have was in my jaw just because its open, close, open, close, open, close during the procedure. All in all in my opinion the worst pain of a root canal is the pain leading up to it. The actual procedure is completely pain free!!! And the procedure is NOT 2-3 hrs!!!!!!!! My appointment was at 9:30AM and I was walking out of the dentist office at about 10:30-10:45. Root canals are nothing to be afraid of, if anyone can’t handle pain it is me! I cry because of a paper cut root canals are nothing!! Just relax and have a positive attitude, just think all of your pain will go away after this BORING PAIN FREE procedure!!Good Luck and remember to relax, it is nothing!!!! Was this answer helpful?
Thank you sooooo much for that relief!! I am going to get a root canal done today at 1:00pm and I was so anxious I could barely sleep last night but worried about if the procedure is painful or not. I have a high tolerance for pain but the excruciating pain I been having from this tooth is HORRIBLE. If I dealt with this pain I will b fine during the procedure but I was just wondering if I would be able to go dancing tonight or if I will be to sore. We’re you able to do things after the numbing wore off or did you have to lye down?
This entry was poetsd in Root Canal Treatment and cracked tooth, dental bridge, dental crowns, root canal, sensitive teeth, tooth pain, treatment. Bookmark the permalink.wonderful and informative post.
Hi Moira
Had several root canal treatments. Any pain was quickly stopped by pain medication to the nerve. My dentist Brett Wallwork at Papakura. Suggest you shop around if you have dentist that cant control your pain.
I laretilly just got a root canal today, and believe me, its not as bad as people say. Honestly the worst part was being numb afterward because its annoying. My dentist even numbed my gums with this anesthetic paste before sticking me with the needle to apply the real numbing stuff, so you might want to request that. It takes about an hour, and you feel nothing during the process, just hands in your mouth. Also be prepared to open and close your mouth often. Don’t worry, believe me. Was this answer helpful?
I just had a root canal treatment on my crown so it may be different from an actual tooth. It was a crown so I did not feel that much pain but I couldn’t say it was painless. It’s way better than not having the procedure done, thats what I can tell you.
I underwent a root canal procedure one month ago and now experiencing a sensitivity feeling around the tooth. Not the sharp nerve feeling from a cavaity but feeling more like a sore muscle pain. Any suggestions.
Is the root canal treatment finished? Was the pain persistent after the treatment, or has it appeared recently?. If it appeared recently, there might be a problem with the treatment. You should visit your dentist.
Thanks for the valuable information. . . . . . . Well I’m yet to experience THE ROOT CANAL. But before reading this, I was having so many questions in mind, but now I’ve got almost all the answers.
Recently i’ve been told by DOCTOR at the Dental hospital that i need to get ROOT CANAL done and i’ve been also given a date for the operation on 6th april 2012.
Actually I’ve been suffering from the severe tooth pain in the right side of the lower jaw from many days and the same tooth in which i’ve got pain is also fractured. When i consulted with the doctor then first he advised me to take the medicines for three days and then report again. And when i reported again,then on that day the doctor put some cotton in the tooth cavity that was dipped in chemical (clove oil). And then gave me a date for the root canal operation.
I appreciate the Doctors decision when he said that “you are a young patient and we dont recommend to extract your tooth”. But at the same time, i feel my tooth is moving a bit and it will get extracted soon, and after ROOT CANAL I’m sure that my tooth will get extracted in no time.
So please tell me, whether my thinking is right or just a fear?
Thanks in Advance. . . . . . .
If the root canal and the proper restorative procedure are done, there’s no reason to think it won’t last long. Studies and my personal experience show that an endodontically treated tooth with proper restoration can last for a long time, as long as you keep going to your dentist regularly (twice a year) for a general check (not only the affected tooth, but also the remainder teeth). Hope this helps!
Sir, thanks for reply.
Today when I went to another Doctor he said that I need to remove the tooth as of now infection has spread upto jaw bone(my jaw is swallowed). He said that there is no way they can save the tooth. He recommended some medicine for three days and said that he’ll extract the tooth after that. Now is there any way to save the tooth……..?
Rather Sultan, I believe your dentist is the best person to tell you whether it is possible or not to save the tooth. An infection by itself isn’t the an indication for tooth extraction. If he says he’ll have to remove the tooth, there must be another problem that invalidates any treatment options. If you trust your dentist you should follow his recommendation. If you don’t feel you have had the best opinion, you might want to get a second opinion from a different dentist. I hope this helps!
Now, I think infection is over now as I’m taking
medicines regularly recommended by the doctor.
I trust my dentist. But now I don’t want to lose
my tooth and I dont believe as there will be no
chance for saving the tooth. Now should i change
my dentidst.?
Rather Sultan, I can’t advice you to change dentist, as I’m a dentist myself, but i feel there should be reciprocal confidence between doctors and patients. If you don’t feel you can trust your dentist 100%, then you should change. Anyway, I don’t believe there are dentists in the world who prefer extracting a tooth over keeping it. If he told you the tooth should be extracted, there must be a strong reason to believe the tooth isn’t treatable.
hey everyone i just got back from the dentist my tooths been drilled and filled with a temp filling, im due to my root canal on 2nd of april im little scaried dont get me wrong but ur all saying its near painless i hope ur all right as i hate the dentist, im a builder, iv gone thou alot of pain in my time iv even been hit by a car, but while he was drilling out my nerve this mornin, the numbin stuff warn off and that hurt alot, never felt pain like it before, but he mumbled, need more numbin as hes hand was in my trap lol, after that was fineeeeee xD
Now, I think infection is over now as I’m taking medicines regularly recommended by the doctor. I trust my dentist. But now I don’t want to lose my tooth and I dont believe as there will be no chance for saving the tooth. Now should i change my dentidst.?
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It is not painless… and it is way worse then normal drilling… but it is totally worth it… its the last call for your tooth… either this or pulling it… and that hurts more…
Just had a root canal on an upper premolar. The tooth didn’t hurt before the procedure, and it didn’t hurt during either. Part of the tooth broke off (over the weekend, of course), and I thought it was just weakened from a 35-year-old amalgam filling. This has happened to me once before, but a root canal wasn’t necessary, just a post and crown. In this case the old filling didn’t seal and there was decay underneath of it, down to the pulp. As I said, the tooth never hurt. The worst part was that my lower jaw was a little sore from having it pried open for 2 hours. Oh, and a slight glow-in-the-dark effect from 4 x-rays in the course of routing out the canal.
Thanks for your contribution John!
My wife is going for her first ever root canal monday. I just got home and she was asleep in bed, when I turned on the laptop to start my night job I found this page on screen,
Thank you for telling us about how little this will hurt.
We were both worried.
Sleep well Mrs. Uwert.
Thanks for your feedback! Any questions you have feel free to post them here…
I just had periodontal surgery and the doctor had to go in my gums to scrape off the tartar and clean things up. Everytime he cleaned this one tooth I had pain. It is a tooth that probably needs to be pulled. I wasnt having any problems with this tooth until the surgery. I seemed to have triggered something. The tooth can’t be saved due to poor dental hygien over the last few years, but why did that surgery trigger the pain in this tooth that semed dormant.
I need a root canal on a crowned tooth. My regular dentist wants to send me to an Endodontist 50 miles away and at a cost of $1100. I’ve heard other regular dentists in town do root canals. Don’t understand why he wants me to see an Endodontst? Any comments?
I suspect it is because the treatment isn’t easy. Perhaps your crowned tooth has a root post or the crown won’t be easy to remove, and the root canal treatment is in fact a remake of an old root canal treatment, and so it should be performed by a specialist.
I had a root canal on 8/2. It hurt so bad I was literally in tears despite repeated attempts to anesthetize the tooth. Had to go back a second time a week later to complete it. My mouth still hurts! So does it hurt? HELL YES IT DOES! This was my second or third root canal and they have ALL hurt but none have hurt as bad as this one!
Gosh thank you for this site, i’m under excruciating pain as i write this. I’ve seen about 4 dentists, with the hope of someone to tell me i just only need filling…with no luck, the only options i have is extraction (definetely not doing that) or Root Canal.
Now, most of the comments here are really comforting. I’m literally immune to any physical pain and worse cannot swallow pills (exspecially capsules). So i’ve set an appointment to have my Root Canal done tomorrow! hope all goes well.
How did it go Lerato?
im asked to dentist to have root cannal done not for one but three. im afraid its gone hurt really bad. I have no tolerance for pain. 2 in the lower jaw, im too afraid to sit in that afraid… how do i prepare myself for this. i experience pain lymph nods and dentist advised me to recover from my fever. please advise how should i prepare for this procedure.
I am going for a root canal soon. There is no constant pain but there is soe when i eat ice cream. The emergency dentist removed some of the root before. Do you think this will hurt?? Please reply asap!
Hello,
Thanks to tiagoav and all the other commentators here. Very helpful and informative.
My tooth is actually dead, so I asked about having it pulled (my husband’s recommendation, since I am 75 years old and the hole would hardly be seen and we are both concerned about the expense. It will put us into debt). But the dentist said that pulling it could involve more trouble and expense than a root canal and crown will. Other adjoining tooth (one of which has a crown) could start leaning, and other issues the dentist didn’t like.
So, tomorrow I go for a root canal, probably a single, but maybe a double, they don’t know yet. Two hours, they tell me. I have a very low pain threshold and feel scared, but this site has helped me a lot. It seems that a straightforward root canal might be bearable after all. I’m not taking any pre-medication, I sort of wish I were. My blood pressure will shoot up, for sure. I’ll ask the Dentist about taking a couple of aspirins beforehand.
I honestly don’t know what is wrong with my tooth but it doesn’t hurt and it’s only slightly sensitive but it did chip in the back next to my gums. I missed up when I was younger and didnt care all that much for about a year and a half to 2 years so I know I have some things wrong but I’m soooo scared that I’m going to lose teeth. Is there any kind of advice besides going to actually going to the dentist, in which I’m going to make an appointment tomorrow? I know it’s all in my head and that there’s been PLENTY worse but I’m not even sure what to think and I can’t stop freaking myself out.
Hi Caitlin, the best advice I can give you is: go to the dentist. It is pretty useless to try to guess whether it is possible or not to keep your tooth because we can’t do an accurate diagnosis only by guessing both the true extent of your tooth fracture, and its endodontic situation. Your dentist is a qualified professional and I’m sure he will do what’s best for you and for your health! I hope this helps!
I’m 15 and i just had a root canal today and trust me i am very Nervous when it comes to dental work (bad experiences when younger) but my Doctor was great the only pain i felt was the novacaine shot and that was just a pinch after that it was Just the sound of the drill and that was it.
I recently chipped my front tooth and i had to get a root canal sence it was a front tooth it only took about 25 min. It dosent hurt at all and im a teenager the worst part was the nunbing shot but it only felt like a strong pinch the i had to gat a expensive cap. hope this helped good luck
Hi, so I just returned from a dentist appointment, and it turns out that I need two root canals done on the right side of my mouth. My right side is currently numb because I had the decay removed and now I have temporary crowns on for the next two weeks (until my root canal appointment). I know several people who have undergone this procedure before and they all claimed what a painful and long procedure it was, even afterward as well. Why is it that some people experience excruciating pain and yet most of the comments here claim it is painless? I’m trying not to be nervous for this.. Also, I’ve had all four of my wisdom teeth removed last spring, and all I was on was the anesthetics (not even put to sleep for this), and I was never in any pain until that night. Should the root canal procedure be worse or about the same as my wisdom teeth experience? Thanks
Had a root canal done in my front tooth 2 months ago, now a sort of feeling like there is a lot of pressure in my tooth has began! Painkillers don’t help it, the only thing that does is pushing my tooth from behind with my tongue! I haven’t been able to sleep for almost a week because of it, does anyone have ANY IDEA what this is????
Tried to explain it to my dentist on the phone today, apparently its not an emergency and I can wait until my next appointment,she doesn’t understand how annoying it is or how painful it becomes if I don’t push on it with my tongue! Lack of sleep and this tooth are begining to drive me crazy! What else can I do, I’m about ready to knock it out by myself-ITS THAT BAD!!! Please someone advice on what I can do to relieve this feeling. I’ve tried ibuprofen, aspirin, paracetamol, co-codamol, tramadol and dihydrocodeine but NOTHING HELPS. I do not know what else to do!!!
Angel: I just had my root canals done yesterday. My dentist strictly recommended Vicodin for me, which is a pretty strong pain killer. I suggest you give that a shot if you haven’t. Hope that helps until your next appointment!
i am terrified of a root canal an i am due to one any advise?
I’m scheduled for a root canal on April 10th and I’m mortified. It’s the last tooth on the bottom of the right side of my jaw. The tooth’s been cracked for a couple of years. I haven’t had any major infections in it (thank God) until about a month ago. I have had TERRIBLE experiences with the Dentist starting as a child. I had all my baby teeth pulled because they wouldn’t fall out. My permanent teeth came in behind the baby ones and I looked like a shark. Needless to say, my permanent teeth were crooked and I had braces for about 5 years. I literally become physically ill because of the burning smell of the drill and have a high gag reflex, so getting a root canal on my lower molar isn’t very appealing at this point. I’ve asked for the Nitrous Oxide gas as I remember when I had to have a Wisdom tooth pulled, I felt NO PAIN-only tugging. My eyes watered when the Dentist gave me the Novacaine shot in the roof of my mouth, but thankfully the gas prevented me from feeling it. It’s March 21st, my appointment is 3 weeks away and I’m already starting to feel physically ill. Should I ask for the total sedation? It seems like the girls in the office already think I’m a lunatic because they had an attitude when I asked for the Nitrous Oxide. I’ve put off this procedure for so long because of the fear. I’m starting to cry just typing this. Any advice and reassurance would be greatly appreciated.
i have my appointment today… have been crying frm morning,.. bad childhood experience i suppose.. i dont remember. i hated the old dentist. found a new dentist near my area. i have avoided root canal for 2 years. the teeth has completely chipped off. it pained last year for a week. now it is painless.. well until i touch that area with force. i dont know why i fear the entire procedure. i have had piercing, infact i have a lip piercing ryt now. i have tattoos.. but there is something about root canals and dentists that make me cry. im still crying while typing this. some of the posts here are helping me, but still i cant cm to the terms,.. but i need to get it done. i have 2 cavities in my front tooth. two damaged premolars,.. and need to gt the wisdom tooth removed. i guess my crying is justified now. bt my phobia is damn serious. and i guess im running a temperature bcoz of it
All people have different pain thresholds, I know three people that have had root canal treatment including myself all of us said it was the most painful dental experiences that we have ever had. I have a cracked tooth at the moment and would sooner have it extracted than root canal treatment. Just my opinion.
well, i’m going to get a root canal and i’m nervous but not really…
Going to get my first root canal tomorrow morning and I am terrified
Is the experience really as painful as you guys are saying?
I’m going to have a deep cleaning and a ROOT CANAL done tomorrow morning at 11am. What is the BEST pain reliever for afterwards, which I know for a fact I will be in the most excruciating pain ever cuz I have a very low tolerance for pain in my mouth/teeth. Any suggestions?? :-/