Why Root Canals Have a Bad Reputation
Ask anyone about a root canal and you will hear the same reaction: dread. But that reputation was earned in a different era of dentistry — one without reliable local anaesthesia, without rotary nickel-titanium instruments, without digital X-rays for precise working length measurements. Root canals performed today, with modern protocols, should feel approximately like getting a filling. Most patients who have had one say their fear was far worse than the actual experience.
The pain people associate with root canals is usually the pain that brought them to the dentist in the first place — an abscess or acute pulpitis — not the treatment itself. The root canal relieves that pain.
When Is a Root Canal Actually Needed?
Root canal treatment (RCT) is needed when the pulp — the soft tissue inside the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels — is irreversibly damaged or infected. This happens when:
- Decay has progressed deep enough to reach the pulp
- A crack or fracture exposes the pulp to bacteria
- A tooth suffers trauma (a hit to the face, for example) that damages the pulp even without visible decay
Warning signs that you may need a root canal: prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold that lingers after the stimulus is removed, spontaneous throbbing pain with no obvious trigger, swelling of the gum near a tooth, or a persistent pimple-like bump on the gum (a sinus tract, indicating infection draining from the root). These symptoms mean the pulp is either dying or already dead — and ignoring them does not resolve the problem, it allows the infection to spread.
The Procedure Step by Step
- Anaesthesia: Local anaesthetic is administered. You should feel pressure but no sharp pain. If you feel pain, tell your dentist immediately — additional anaesthetic can be given.
- Access opening: A small opening is made in the top of the tooth to reach the pulp chamber.
- Pulp removal: The infected or dead pulp tissue is removed using fine rotary files. This is done under a rubber dam to prevent contamination.
- Canal shaping and cleaning: The root canals are shaped and irrigated with antimicrobial solution to eliminate bacteria.
- Obturation: The cleaned and shaped canals are filled with a biocompatible material (gutta-percha) and sealed.
- Crown placement: A crown is almost always recommended after RCT on posterior (back) teeth, as the tooth becomes more brittle after losing its pulp. Front teeth may need only a filling.
How Many Visits?
Single-visit RCT is possible and common for straightforward cases — one appointment of 60–90 minutes handles the entire procedure through obturation. More complex cases (curved canals, severe infection, multi-rooted molars) may require 2–3 visits with a medicament placed between appointments to control infection. Your dentist will tell you at the first appointment which applies to your case.
Cost of Root Canal Treatment in Lahore
- Single-rooted teeth (incisors, canines): PKR 6,000–15,000
- Premolars (2 roots): PKR 10,000–18,000
- Molars (3+ canals): PKR 15,000–28,000 at quality DHA clinics
- Crown after RCT: Additional PKR 8,000–20,000 depending on material
A realistic total for a molar root canal plus crown at a DHA Lahore clinic: PKR 25,000–48,000.
What Happens If You Avoid It?
A dental abscess does not resolve on its own. Left untreated, the infection spreads to surrounding bone, potentially to adjacent teeth, and in severe cases to the jaw and beyond (dental infections can become life-threatening when they spread to the airway). Eventually, the tooth will need extraction. An extracted molar then creates a gap that causes neighbouring teeth to drift, bite problems, and bone loss. Replacing it with a dental implant costs PKR 80,000–150,000. Root canal treatment almost always preserves the tooth at a fraction of that cost and keeps your bite intact for years.
Concerned about a tooth? Book an appointment at House of Aesthetics or read more about our dental services in DHA Phase 6 Lahore.