Severe, unrelenting toothache: A persistent, throbbing pain in a tooth or the jaw that doesn’t go away could indicate that the nerve is infected.
Root Canal Treatment in SW Calgary
Gentle, Effective Care to Save Your Tooth
Having a root canal can be intimidating, but our root canal therapy is gentle and effective and can save your natural tooth. A root canal is a treatment used to repair and save a tooth that has a deeply infected or inflamed pulp (the inner nerve tissue). Instead of extracting the troubled tooth, a root canal allows us to remove the infection and relieve your pain while preserving the tooth structure. This means you can keep your tooth and avoid more extensive replacements such as implants or bridges.
Request an Appointment
If you have a toothache or suspect you might need a root canal, don’t delay treatment. Tooth infections can worsen or spread if left untreated. Contact us for an evaluation. We’ll gently alleviate your pain and preserve your tooth with prompt root canal therapy, helping you get back to a healthy, pain-free smile.
You Might Need a Root Canal If You Experience:
Severe, unrelenting toothache
Sensitivity to hot and cold
Sensitivity to hot and cold: Pain or a lingering ache in a tooth after exposure to hot or cold temperatures (that lingers even after the hot/cold is removed) is often a sign of nerve involvement.
Pain when chewing or biting
Pain when chewing or biting: Sharp pain or pressure when you bite down on a certain tooth may mean the nerve is inflamed or the tooth structure is cracked.
Cracked or damaged tooth
Cracked or damaged tooth: A tooth that is cracked, chipped, or has a large cavity can expose the pulp to bacteria, often leading to the need for a root canal if it becomes painful or infected.
Swollen gums or abscess
Swollen gums or abscess: Swelling, tenderness, or a pimple-like bump on the gums near a tooth is a clear sign of infection (dental abscess). You might also experience a bad taste or drainage from that area.
If you’re experiencing one or more of these signs, you may have an infection inside the tooth’s root canals. Our dental team will likely recommend a root canal to relieve pain and save the tooth.
What Happens During and After a Root Canal?
What happens during a root canal? We begin by fully numbing the area around the affected tooth to keep you comfortable. The dentist then creates a small opening on the top of the tooth to access the infected pulp. Using very fine instruments, we carefully remove diseased pulp and bacteria from the tooth's narrow root canals. Once the infected tissue is removed, we thoroughly clean and disinfect the canals to ensure no bacteria remain. The cleaned canals are then filled with a biocompatible material to seal them and prevent reinfection. Finally, we place a temporary filling to close the opening in your tooth.
After a root canal, the tooth will be “hollowed out” from the inside, so it’s often recommended to have a crown placed on that tooth soon after treatment. A crown will protect the tooth and restore its full strength, since a tooth becomes brittle after root canal treatment. In many cases, we will schedule you for a crown a few weeks after the treatment or place a build-up to prepare for a crown.
A root canal procedure typically takes about 60–90 minutes and can often be completed in one visit (though complex cases may require two visits). Thanks to modern techniques and anesthesia, getting a root canal is usually no more uncomfortable than having a cavity filled – the big difference is that it relieves the intense pain of an infected tooth rather than causing pain. After the procedure, any soreness usually subsides in a couple of days, and you’ll be able to chew normally on that tooth once it’s fully restored with a permanent filling or crown.
