Root Canal Therapy

A root canal has the worst reputation of any dental procedure, and almost none of it is deserved. If you have been told you need one, the most important thing to know is this: a modern root canal is the procedure that gets you out of pain. It is not the source of it. Most people walk out of the appointment wondering what they were so worried about.

Inside every tooth is a soft tissue called the pulp, which contains the nerves and blood vessels that nourished the tooth as it grew. When that pulp gets infected — from a deep cavity, a crack, or trauma — it can cause severe pain, swelling, and the kind of throbbing that keeps you up at night. A root canal removes that infected tissue, cleans the inside of the tooth, and seals it off so the infection cannot come back.

During the procedure, the area around your tooth is fully numbed, just like for a filling. You should feel pressure, but you should not feel pain. If you ever do, you raise your hand, and we pause. Dr. Maharaj will walk you through each step, and you can ask questions or take a break any time you need to. The pace is yours.

In most cases, the tooth is then protected with a crown so it can stand up to years of normal chewing. The whole process — root canal, then crown — usually takes two or three visits, and afterward you have your tooth back. You can eat with it, smile with it, and forget which one it was. That is the goal.

The alternative to a root canal is usually pulling the tooth, which sounds simpler but creates new problems — your bite shifts, neighboring teeth move, and you may need a bridge or implant later. Saving your natural tooth, when it is possible, is almost always the better long-term call. You will hear the honest tradeoffs before you decide.