The first question we ALWAYS get when we tell someone that their tooth requires a root canal is about how painful the process is. Some people have had bad experiences in the past while some have heard painful root canal stories. While we understand peoples apprehension, it is a little surprising to hear because root canal treatment is done using Local Aneasthesia and hence is a painless procedure! A root canal treatment is definitely the most misunderstood procedure in dentistry - it is an essential procedure which is performed to save the tooth where the only other option is tooth extraction/ tooth removal. A painless root canal treatment is done to relieve pain and not cause it! At Summit Dental, we believe apprehension and anxiety can be reduced with information- read more about microscope root canal treatment HERE.

In the past, the only option for an infected tooth was its removal- it was faster, easier and once done you don’t have pain anymore! No one spoke about the importance of replacing missing teeth which leads to a host of other issues such a bite problems and mal-alignment of teeth. In root canal therapy , you are saving your natural tooth and we know that nothing is as good as your natural teeth! So what could be some of the reasons why people have painful root canal treatment experiences?

1. Improper or Inadequate use of Aneasthesia- One of the most common reasons for pain during an RCT is inadequate anaesthetic or sometimes even improper technique to deliver the anesthesia. A thorough understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the oral neurovasculature and todays technology is needed to achieve this. At Summit Dental, our root canal specialist/ endodontist uses a combination of a numbing gel and latest techniques to confirm the anaesthetic action before beginning the procedure.

2. Using outdated equipment and techniques- Earlier root canal treatment was performed using hand instruments to essentially file the tooth inside- the sheer pressure of this is uncomfortable. To perform a good RCT, visualisation and confirmation in the form of X-rays and Apex locator to assess where the tooth ends is needed. Sadly the use of such outdated apparatus is still rampant today leading to painful and frankly scary scenarios. At Summit Dental, we only use rotary/ machine-run instruments, digital x-rays which give instantaneous clear images and an apex locator to assess the tooth in all our painless root canal treatment procedures.

3. Not using a Microscope- A tooth is tiny , imagine how tiny the canals are inside it! These canals are not straight and tend to curve in all directions imaginable not to mention there are multiple tiny channels within. So now think about this- how can someone be precise without magnification? There are bound to be procedural errors and infection not being removed completely when this process is done with the naked eye (or even loupes) which makes it painful and sets up the treatment for failure to cause issues in the future. At Summit Dental Clinic, all our root canal treatments are done using a microscope ( Carl Zeiss OPMI Pico) to ensure precision and accuracy.

4. Using the wrong medication within the tooth- There are several medications we use within the tooth to remove infection during a root canal procedure. Every medicine has its purpose, however using it incorrectly or not using the right one can cause pain.

5. Procedure done by a General Dentist- An Endodontist is a Dentist who has done a specialised program/ course studying all aspects of a root canal treatment / Endodontics and hence is extremely knowledgable in all things root canal. We are not saying that a General Dentist does not know how to perform this procedure but think about it- would you rather go to a Cardiologist or a General Physician if you are having heart problems?

6. Improper sterile conditions- Your teeth are constantly bathed in saliva and what does saliva contain? Bactria and other microorganisms. If a root canal procedure which is essentially a process to disinfect the tooth is done with saliva flowing into the tooth- how is it clean and sterile? In Summit Dental, we use a Rubber Dam which is essentially a barrier to isolate that tooth from the rest of your mouth. It prevents any saliva ( even a drop!) from contaminating the tooth and also prevents any of the strong medicines from touching any other part of your mouth.

In short, using the latest technology coupled with expertise- you should not experience any pain during your microscope root canal treatment. So next time you hear those dreaded words - “You need to get a Root Canal Treatment for your tooth” , breathe easy and let your dentist do what they do best !