Is root canal painful?

[Nick]

Hi

I have been told by my own dentist that I need to have root canal work on a tooth because it has infection inside it. My friends tell me that root canal is really painful, can you tell me if there is a lot of pain with root canal work. Would having sedation help me?

[Dr Mohsen J. Esfahani]

Hi Nick

Root canal treatment is generally not painful when its being carried out as the areas is fully numbed. There are a few occasions where due to severe infection, it may be difficult to numb the tooth fully for root canal. In these situations sedations can be helpful or you may need pus drainage and antibiotics before root canal is started.

After root canal treatment is carried out and the numbness wears off, there may be some pain for a few days and you will need some pain killers to deal with this.