What root canal treatment actually is
Inside every tooth is a soft core of nerves and blood vessels called the pulp. When deep decay, a crack or trauma lets bacteria reach the pulp, it becomes inflamed and eventually dies. Root canal treatment removes the infected pulp, cleans and disinfects the hollow canals inside the roots, and seals them with a rubber-like filling material so bacteria cannot return.
The point of the treatment is simple: it lets you keep a tooth that would otherwise need to be extracted. The visible part of the tooth stays in place and continues to work — you simply no longer have a living nerve inside it.
The symptoms that usually lead to it
Most patients arrive with one or more of these: throbbing toothache that wakes you at night, pain when biting down, lingering sensitivity to hot or cold that continues after the trigger is removed, a darkening tooth, swelling of the gum next to a tooth, or a small spot on the gum that looks like a pimple and may release an unpleasant taste. Some infected teeth cause no pain at all and are picked up on a routine X-ray — a dead nerve can be silent.
If you have facial swelling, fever, or difficulty swallowing alongside tooth pain, that is an emergency. Call us the same day on 01282 965286 — a spreading dental infection needs urgent treatment, not a wait-and-see approach.
Does a root canal hurt?
This is the question everyone asks, and the honest answer is: the procedure itself should not hurt. Modern local anaesthetic numbs the tooth completely, and for most patients the experience is comparable to having a large filling — longer, but not more painful. The reputation root canals have for pain comes from the toothache that leads up to them, not the treatment itself.
The fairest description of what you will feel: pressure, vibration, and a long time with your mouth open. Afterwards, mild tenderness when biting is normal for a few days as the tissue around the root settles, and over-the-counter painkillers manage it well. A very hot or badly infected tooth can be harder to numb fully; if that applies to you, we may treat the infection first and complete the work at a second visit.
What happens at each appointment
First, the tooth is numbed and isolated with a thin protective sheet so the canals stay clean and dry. An opening is made in the top of the tooth, and the infected pulp is removed with fine instruments. The canals are shaped, washed with disinfectant, and measured precisely. Depending on the tooth and the infection, the canals are either filled the same day or dressed with an antibacterial paste and sealed temporarily for a second visit.
Front teeth have one canal and are usually quicker. Molars have three or four canals, which is why molar root canals take longer and cost more. Expect 60 to 90 minutes per visit, and either one or two visits in total.
What it costs at Station House
Root canal treatment at Station House Dental Care starts from £340, with the final price depending on which tooth is being treated and how many canals it has — a front tooth sits at the lower end, a molar at the higher end. You receive a full written quote before any treatment begins, and 0% finance is available on treatment over £250 via V12 Retail Finance, subject to status.
One cost most guides skip: a back tooth that has had root canal treatment usually needs a crown afterwards (from £590.75) to protect it from cracking. We will tell you upfront whether your tooth needs one, so the total cost is never a surprise.
How long a root-treated tooth lasts
A well-performed root canal on a tooth that is then properly restored can last many years — often decades. The two factors that matter most are how much healthy tooth structure remains, and whether a back tooth is protected with a crown. Root-treated molars left with only a filling are significantly more likely to fracture, which is why we are direct about recommending crowns where they are needed.
Root-treated teeth can occasionally become re-infected, usually because a new leak lets bacteria back in. If that happens, re-treatment or referral to a specialist endodontist is often possible before extraction is considered.
Root canal vs extraction — the honest comparison
Extraction is cheaper on the day (from £144.50) and faster. But it leaves a gap, and gaps have consequences: neighbouring teeth drift, the opposing tooth over-erupts, chewing shifts to other teeth, and the bone in the gap shrinks over time. Replacing the tooth later with an implant costs from £2,500 — far more than the root canal that would have saved it.
Our genuine position: if a tooth is restorable, saving it is almost always the better long-term decision. If it is too broken down to restore predictably, we will tell you that too, and talk through replacement options rather than performing a root canal that is likely to fail.
Aftercare that protects your investment
Avoid chewing on the treated tooth until any permanent crown or filling is placed. Keep the area clean with normal brushing and interdental cleaning — a root-treated tooth can still get gum disease and decay around it. Attend your review appointments so we can confirm on X-ray that the bone around the root is healing. And if you grind your teeth at night, tell us: a night guard (from £212.50) protects a root-treated molar from fracture.