A modern root canal is similar to having a other common dental procedures like a filling so the biggest discomfort will come from the anesthetic applied and potentially from having your mouth open for the treatment. Having said that we practice techniques to eliminate as much discomfort as possible (see our section on patient comfort).
Our office starts with the strongest topical anesthetic to reduce the chance of feeling anything during the numbing process. Then we will numb the tooth and surrounding tissues with local anesthesia so you don’t feel any pain during the procedure.
In addition to our topical anesthetic, we utilize a painless oral injection system, DentalVibe, to reduce any discomfort during the numbing process. DentalVibe is a unique tool that can help alleviate dental fear and anxiety, allowing you to undergo the treatments needed to maintain a healthy mouth. DentalVibe provides gentle vibration to the site of the dental injection that overloads the nerve that sends pain signals to the brain so you don’t feel the injection. Most patients who have a DentalVibe injection aren’t even aware they’ve had an injection! The vibrations disperse the anesthesia once it’s injected to allow it to get to work even faster…plus the sound of the vibration creates an added distraction!
DentalVibe is especially helpful in reducing dental fear among children. Many adult patients feel they wouldn’t have developed dental fears if they had this tool when they were younger.
You might experience some mild discomfort for a few days after the procedure. We can advise you on ways to handle this.