Root Canal Treatment in Leeds
Root canal treatment removes infected or dying nerve tissue from inside a tooth, disinfects the canal system and seals it, so the tooth can stay in your mouth instead of being extracted. Twilight Dental carries out root canal treatment at our clinic in Woodhouse, Leeds, including emergency appointments 24 hours a day.
What to expect
- Carried out under local anaesthetic — it should feel much like having a filling.
- Usually one or two visits, depending on the tooth and how much infection is present.
- Front teeth and premolars have fewer canals and take less time than molars.
- Pain relief is usually immediate once the pressure inside the tooth is released.
- A back tooth normally needs a crown afterwards to stop it splitting.
- Success rates are high when the treatment is completed and the tooth is properly restored.
When you need root canal treatment
- Constant or throbbing toothache, often worse at night
- Lingering pain to hot or cold that lasts more than a few seconds
- Pain on biting, or a tooth that feels raised
- A dental abscess, gum boil or facial swelling
- A tooth that has darkened after an old knock
- Deep decay or a fracture that has reached the pulp
- Sometimes no symptoms at all — picked up on an X-ray
What actually happens
- Diagnosis. Examination, nerve testing and an X-ray to confirm which tooth is involved and map the roots.
- Anaesthetic and isolation. The tooth is numbed and isolated with a rubber dam so the canals stay clean and nothing is swallowed.
- Access and cleaning. A small opening is made and the infected pulp is removed with fine instruments, with irrigation to disinfect the canal system.
- Shaping and measuring. The canals are shaped to length, checked electronically and radiographically.
- Sealing. The canals are filled to seal the space against re-infection.
- Restoring the tooth. A permanent filling and, for back teeth, a crown to protect the remaining structure.
Does it hurt?
The reputation is decades out of date. The pain people associate with root canals is the pain of the infection that makes the treatment necessary, and that usually stops during the appointment itself. With modern anaesthetic the procedure is comfortable. The tooth can be tender to bite on for a few days afterwards, which settles with ordinary painkillers.
Finish the course
If your treatment is done in stages, the tooth is dressed with an antibacterial medicament between visits. That dressing is temporary. Once the pain has gone it is tempting to stop, but a half-treated tooth re-infects and the work is lost, often along with the tooth. We explain this in more detail in our article on finishing root canal treatment.
Root canal or extraction?
Keeping your own tooth is almost always preferable: it maintains the bone, the bite and the neighbouring teeth. Extraction becomes the better option when the tooth is broken below the gum, the root is split, or the supporting bone has been lost. Replacing a tooth with an implant or bridge also costs considerably more than treating it. We set out the comparison honestly at the consultation, and our article on root canals versus extractions covers the trade-offs.
Root canal treatment — your questions answered
Is root canal treatment painful?
No. The tooth is fully numbed, and most patients say the relief begins during the appointment. Tenderness to bite for a few days afterwards is normal.
How many appointments will I need?
Often one for a front tooth, and one or two for a molar. Where there is significant infection we may dress the tooth and complete it at a second visit.
Can you do it as an emergency?
Yes. Emergency root canal treatment to relieve pain is one of the most common things we do out of hours. Call 0113 819 7865.
Will the tooth go dark?
Root-treated front teeth can darken over time. This can usually be improved with internal whitening, a veneer or a crown.
Do I definitely need a crown afterwards?
On molars and premolars, usually yes — root-treated back teeth fracture far more often without one. Front teeth with small access cavities often need only a filling.
What if I do nothing?
The infection does not resolve by itself. It progresses to an abscess and eventually to loss of the tooth, sometimes with facial swelling on the way.
How long does a root-treated tooth last?
Many last decades. The main factors are how well the canals were sealed and whether the tooth was properly restored afterwards.
In pain, or been told you need a root canal?
Book a £24 consultation, or call 0113 819 7865 at any hour if the pain will not wait. Evening appointments seven days a week.
