Root canals

What a root canal is, in plain words

There is a nerve inside the tooth. When it gets infected or dies, it hurts — sometimes a great deal — and the infection can reach the bone. A root canal means emptying that canal, disinfecting it and sealing it. The tooth stays where it is: that is what makes it different from an extraction.

After a root canal the tooth is more brittle, so it almost always needs a crown on top. We say so from the start, because it goes into the total and it is where the sum changes for a lot of people.

What to do if it hurts right now

• Call. We keep slots every day for this. On the phone we will tell you whether it can wait or you need to come in now.
• An over-the-counter painkiller meanwhile, if nothing rules it out for you.
• Cold on the outside if there is swelling. Not heat: it makes it worse.
• If the swelling spreads toward the eye or down the neck, or you have trouble swallowing or breathing, go to a hospital right away. That cannot wait for our appointment.

How it will go, visit by visit

When it cannot be saved

Sometimes the fracture runs too deep or too little healthy tooth is left. In that case a root canal will not solve it and the tooth has to come out. We will tell you so even though it is the cheaper of the two, and explain what the options are afterwards to replace it.