Does Root Canal Therapy Take a Long Time?

When you know you need root canal therapy done, but you’re afraid the pain and healing process will put you out of commission for weeks, it’s time to call our dental practice. At Randwick Dental Clinic, we focus on the procedure, performing it regularly. We stay on top of any advances in the field to provide our patients with the best possible care.

What to Expect

No patient should feel anything doing the procedure. Done under local anaesthesia, there’s no pain, no discomfort from the vibration, or sensation of pressure. The lip may remain numb for about two hours, before returning to normal. Once done, there are no restrictions on activities.

A typical session is about one hour, and it may take one or two to complete the process, depending on the condition of your tooth. Our dentist will decide how to proceed after we examine the tooth and canals on the first visit. Sometimes, the entire process may be finished in a one-hour session, and the patient is right back to living their life without pain.

A determination is made based on what the tooth can handle at this point. For example, if the face is swollen, we’ll wait a week or two to allow the swelling to go down before proceeding.

When Issues Occur

For the majority of patients, root canal therapy is easy, and without complications. For about one person in every 20, flare-ups may happen, especially if we’re dealing with a chronic, long-term condition. That’s not necessarily a bad thing as it allows the body to finish getting rid of any remaining infection.

Some patients might have bone loss as the result of a cyst, but that won’t affect how the repaired tooth looks or feels. Bone recovery typically becomes evident after 40 days, but can take up to six months to totally heal. The recent growth can only be seen with X-rays, and it doesn’t affect the function of the tooth.

Any invasive or surgical procedure may carry risks. Before moving forward, it is recommended that you seek a second opinion from an appropriately licensed medical professional.