Is a root canal painful?
At Edinburgh Endodontist, in the top three (if not the first question) we hear is, will it hurt? This often comes from a patient who needs an endodontist and therefore is in a very uncomfortable state, to begin with!
The root canal Edinburgh we provide is no more irritating than a standard filling, and much less than an abscess.
In fact, if the underlying infection has disabled the nerve there will be no soreness at all. For most, local numbing is all that’s required.
An abscess is the main reason why endodontics are performed and overall the treatment is a massive relief to the sensations that come along with a dental infection. Treatment can’t start with an actively progressing infection; a course of antibiotics will be prescribed before any dental work is carried out.
Can I be unconscious during the procedure?
Full sedation carries with it a small risk when performing life-saving surgery. Is that risk negligible for a root canal Edinburgh It is not. That said, many patients find the idea of endodontics without sedation very disconcerting. Our specialist facilities and advanced staff training allow us to offer partial or twilight sedation.
Sedation
We use intravenous sedation; in the clinic, one of our anesthesiologists or sedation team will monitor you throughout the treatment, adjusting the dosages as needed, to maintain a calm and tranquil state without fully losing consciousness. This is often paired with an anxiolytic taken in pill form before the procedure. These medications do impair people’s capacity to drive, so this needs to be taken into account.
Can I get it all done at the same time?
The treatment length is dependent on the number of roots the tooth has, the front teeth have one root with molars having two to three, but there can be a lot more. A dental X-ray will confirm the situation and allow us to estimate treatment time. A single root can take two hours to clean out the pulp, fully widening the canal so a deep filling can be carried out. So it’s normal to complete this treatment over multiple sessions; you can discuss this after your initial X-ray.
Care
We understand that there are barriers to care, and in providing sedation, this allows a significant group of patients to access endodontic treatment and a root canal Edinburgh This enables procedures to be performed at an earlier stage when treatment is more likely to be effective and it is possible to save the infected tooth, rather than delaying until they are decayed beyond repair, saving our patients more anguish.
Contact us
For more information please get in contact with us. You can email us or telephone our reception. Our location is available on our website. Due to these uncertain times, please contact the clinic before arriving.
We are offering online consultations with Dr Navid Saberi who can make an initial assessment of your condition and give advice. This stops unnecessary trips to the surgery and helps us to maintain the government’s infection control guidelines.