Is Root Canal Treatment Still Painful In 2024?
Root canal treatment has historically received a lot of bad press; in the past, this has been legitimate.
Some of the outdated techniques and equipment used by dentists to save teeth from a dental infection were far from pleasant to undergo. Today, it’s a different story.
As dentists, we can tell you that patients are pleasantly surprised by their experience of root canal treatment in 2024.
Is Root Canal Treatment Still Painful In 2024?
Root canal treatment is now a very routine and painless process in the majority of cases. When a dental infection is caught relatively early and the swelling is minor, you will feel very little when your dentist works to remove the decayed matter affecting the tooth.
However, in scenarios when there is a significant abscess, it can be harder for dentists to minimise discomfort, but there are techniques that can address this.
How do dentists make sure I’m not in pain?
Anaesthetic
Root canal treatment is always performed under local anaesthetic – ‘but having an anaesthetic administered is painful in itself!’ you might say.
Experienced dentists committed to continuing professional development will be up-to-date with the latest injection techniques.
The needles used for administering anaesthetic today are designed to be atraumatic, and once the anaesthetic takes effect, you won’t feel anything more than slight pressure as your dentist performs your root canal.
Sedation
Oral and intravenous sedation are routinely used by dentists to help patients relax and feel comfortable. These powerful methods of sedation are part of the benzodiazepine family and significantly decrease anxiety during dental procedures like root canal treatment without impacting upon your heart and lung function. Remember that not all dentists offer sedation though.
Communication and safe words
A responsible dentist will continuously communicate with you to check you are okay throughout the procedure. This involves having a safe word or gesture that indicates to your dentist that you need a break or if something doesn’t feel quite right.
They will also check to see if the amount of pressure they are applying feels comfortable for the patient before they begin working on the tooth.
What can I do to reduce the possibility of discomfort during root canal treatment?
The best thing you can do to make sure root canal treatment doesn’t become problematic is to see a dentist the moment something doesn’t feel quite right. This will ensure an abscess doesn’t form, increasing the possibility of dental pain during a restorative procedure like root canal treatment.
This said, in many cases a dental infection doesn’t have any symptoms. This is why it’s so important to see a dentist for a check-up every six months. During your appointment, your dentist uses high-spec loupes to spot the smallest signs of an emerging cavity.
Six-monthly appointments are essential, as this is the time it can take for a cavity to form.
Ask a dentist about your symptoms for free
At Nova Smiles, there is always a dentist on hand to discuss your symptoms, completely free of charge.
It takes just minutes to fill out an online consultation form and to get free advice about any symptoms that are worrying you.