Root canal treatment. It ends pain, it doesn't cause it.

What's actually happening inside the tooth?

Every tooth has a soft inner core — the pulp — containing nerves, blood vessels and connective tissue. Each time a tooth is filled, drilled, or knocked, the pulp notices, and damage accumulates over time like paper cuts that never quite heal. By the time an infection sets in, it's not a single event, it's the final one. The sensation is something like a nettle sting deep inside the tooth — acute, and with nowhere for it to go. Root canal treatment removes that tissue, and the sting goes with it.

Does it hurt?

You'll be numb before anything begins — the tooth and surrounding tissue are anaesthetised, and treatment doesn't start until you're comfortable. Most patients report feeling pressure or a sensation of movement, but not pain, and often say afterwards that the anticipation was worse than the appointment itself. A straightforward case typically takes sixty to ninety minutes. You'll leave with the tooth cleaned, sealed, and the infection addressed — a crown is usually placed at a follow-up appointment to protect the tooth long term.

What does the operating microscope actually change?

It isn't just magnification — the coaxial illumination delivers light straight down the optical axis, eliminating the shadows that standard loupes and even high-power headlamps leave at the bottom of a narrow canal. An extra canal that's been missed by a previous clinician usually isn't missed because it's too small to see; it's missed because it sits in shadow. Under the microscope, that canal shows up as a distinct discolouration in the floor of the chamber — it's been there all along. This matters most with calcified canals: a periapical X-ray tells you what a canal looks like radiographically, not what's actually there. Under magnification, the technique is methodical — removing calcified secondary dentine carefully, following the developmental groove, watching for the colour change that marks the original canal wall. Every case here is also planned with in-house CBCT scanning beforehand, giving a 3D picture no flat X-ray can provide.

How much does it cost?

A molar root canal is £700, and an anterior (front) tooth is £500. A protective crown is usually needed afterwards and is priced separately — we'll talk you through the full picture before anything's agreed.

What happens if it's left untreated?

The infection doesn't resolve on its own. The pain continues, and the surrounding bone can be affected. Eventually extraction becomes the only option — which means a gap, an implant, or a bridge, all of which cost more, take longer, and involve losing a tooth that didn't need to go. A tooth that can be saved should be saved, and we'll always try to keep what you have.