Here's the truth about root canals: the pain everyone associates with them comes from the infected tooth, not the treatment. The root canal is what makes that pain stop.
When decay or a crack lets bacteria reach the nerve inside your tooth, the resulting infection won't heal on its own. A root canal removes the infected tissue, cleans and seals the canals, and saves the tooth — which is almost always better than pulling it.
We numb the tooth completely — you should feel pressure, not pain. Through a small opening, we remove the infected nerve tissue, disinfect the canals, and seal them. Most root canals here take one or two visits, and most teeth need a crown afterward to protect them long-term.
The relief is often immediate: patients regularly tell us they slept through the night for the first time in a week.
Lingering pain after hot or cold, pain when biting down, a tooth that's darkened, swelling or a pimple-like bump on the gum, or an ache that wakes you at night. Any of these deserves a call — infections only move in one direction.
With modern anesthetic, no. The procedure feels similar to a long filling appointment. The days before the root canal — that's the painful part.
You can, but keeping your natural tooth is almost always better and often cheaper in the long run, once you factor in replacing the extracted tooth. We'll lay out both paths honestly and let you decide.