What is a root canal treatment?

A root canal treatment is a common dental procedure. It removes infected or damaged pulp tissue from inside your tooth.

Inside each tooth are tiny spaces called root canals. These go from the top (crown) to the root. Each tooth can have up to 4 canals. They contain soft tissue called pulp. Pulp is made up of nerves and blood vessels.

During a root canal treatment, your dentist or an endodontist cleans, shapes and fills the root canals to stop the infection and save your tooth.

After treatment, the tooth is restored with a filling or crown to protect and restore function.

What are the benefits of a root canal treatment?

A root canal treatment can help save a tooth that is infected or damaged. If your tooth needs to be removed, you may need further treatment to replace it.

This treatment may be helpful when the pulp tissue inside your tooth is affected by:

• tooth decay
• an injury
• a crack
• repeated dental work that has harmed the pulp

Root canal treatment aims to clean, disinfect and seal the root canal system. Antibiotics alone do not work to cure root canal infections.

Once your tooth has healed, your pain should resolve.

What are the symptoms of a root canal infection?

A root canal infection may not always cause symptoms right away. You might notice:

• toothache or sensitivity
• a pimple-like bump near your tooth — this is pus building up
• sensitivity to hot or cold
• swelling near your tooth or jaw
• that your tooth gets darker in colour

If you have severe pain or swelling, make an urgent appointment to see your dentist.

What does a root canal treatment involve?

Root canal treatment usually requires a few dental appointments.

Your dentist or endodontist will:

• take an x-ray to check your tooth and the area around it
• use a local anaesthetic to numb the area around your tooth
• place a rubber sheet (called a dam) over your tooth to keep it clean and dry
• make a small hole in your tooth to remove the pulp
• clean, shape and disinfect the root canals inside your tooth
• seal your tooth with a temporary filling, if more than one session is needed

When everything is clean, they will fill the canals with material to seal your tooth permanently. Then they add a filling or crown on top to protect it.

How can I prepare myself for a root canal treatment?

Here are some tips to prepare for a root canal treatment:

• Follow any instructions your dentist or endodontist gives you. This may include not taking certain medicines or avoiding certain foods before the appointment.
• Eat before your visit, since your mouth may feel numb for a few hours afterwards.
• Let your dentist know about any health conditions or medicines you are taking.
• Ask questions if you're unsure about anything. Understanding the procedure can help you feel more prepared and less anxious.
• Talk to your dentist or endodontist about the costs of a root canal treatment.

How soon will I recover?

You may experience some mild pain or discomfort after your root canal treatment.

It's a good idea to ask your dentist or endodontist how soon you will recover. Here are some questions you might want to ask:

• What pain-relief medicines can I take if I need them?
• Can I eat and drink normally after the procedure?
• When can I go back to school, work or other activities?

What complications can happen?

Root canal treatment is generally safe, but sometimes complications can happen. These include:

• the dentist putting too much or too little filling material in the hole in your tooth, so you require additional treatment
• a small instrument (file) used for the procedure becoming stuck inside your tooth's root canal
• injury to the root of your tooth
• discolouration of the tooth
• recurrent infection

In some cases, the root canal treatment will not be enough to treat a significant infection, and your tooth will need to be removed.

Are there alternatives to a root canal treatment?

If you have a badly damaged or infected tooth, you could choose to have your tooth removed instead of having a root canal treatment. Discuss your options with your dentist or endodontist.

What happens if I decide not to have the procedure or it is delayed?

When your tooth is damaged, bacteria can get inside the tooth. This can lead to an infection or abscess in the root of your tooth.

An untreated root canal infection can lead to chronic inflammation and damage to tissue around your tooth.

Without treatment, your tooth might need to be removed.

Resources and support

Visit the Department of Health, Disability and Ageing for information about:

• public dental services in your state or territory
• Child Dental Benefits Schedule (CDBS)
• how to care for your teeth

Teeth.org.au offers oral health information to help you maintain a healthy mouth.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Languages other than English

• Teeth.org.au offers translated factsheets on oral health topics in a range of community languages.
• Queensland Health offers translated factsheets on what to expect after dental surgery.
• NSW Health offers information about healthy mouths for people from culturally and linguistically diverse and non-English speaking backgrounds.
• The Victorian Government offers translated oral health resources.

Information for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples

• Teeth.org.au offers information about a healthy smile for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
• NSW Health has information about keeping a healthy mouth for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples.