If you need root canal therapy, you can trust it’ll be effective. The procedure will smoothly repair your tooth and thus heal your smile! That said, you may wonder how long your root canal will take. You’ll need such knowledge to map your schedule and adjust your plans accordingly. Fortunately enough, your local Brecksville dentist happens to have the relevant details handy. So, here’s how long your root canal will take and what to expect from recovery.
What’s a Root Canal?
In essence, a root canal is a service that removes damage in a tooth’s roots. It does so by destroying the pearly white’s pulp and sealing the area back up.
A root canal is most needed when a tooth is infected or inflamed. If left untended, the infection could spread to your other body parts and cause more severe health issues. Such problems range from tooth loss at best to life-threatening sepsis at worst.
How Long Does It Take?
On average, a root canal takes anywhere from thirty to ninety minutes. The timeline for your own will depend on your infection’s severity. It’ll also be affected by how many canals the affected tooth has.
For some relevant examples, consider the tooth type below:
- Incisors & Canines – Incisors and canines are single-rooted, so their root canals only take thirty to sixty minutes.
- Premolars – Since they’re closer to your mouth’s front than molars, premolars have only one or two roots. That means they can take forty-five to ninety minutes.
- Molars – Molars are your very back tooth, each with up to four roots. Root canals involving them thus last ninety minutes or even longer.
What Happens as You Recover?
Naturally, you’ll need to recover after your root canal treatment. Combined with a wait for final crown placement, this period should last one to two weeks.
One thing to expect from recovery is some post-treatment pain. In many cases, a patient feels sore around the treated area for twenty-four to forty-eight hours. To compensate, you could take over-the-counter pain medication. It’s also a good idea to follow a soft-food diet – it’ll avoid harming your tooth.
Furthermore, you’ll need to keep the treated tooth healthy (especially if you’re waiting for a crown.) As such, carefully brush it twice daily and floss once daily. Doing so will keep bacteria away and reduce the risk of a re-infection.
Ultimately, your context will determine how long your root canal will take. That being the case, keep track of the factors above!
About the Practice
Brecksville Dental Excellence is based in Brecksville, OH. Led by Dr. Mo Saleh, our practice is ready and eager to give you a stunning smile. We thus offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative procedures, as well as emergency dental treatments. Naturally, then, our team is well-equipped to perform root canal therapy as needed. For more information or to book a visit, you can reach us on our website or by phone at (440)-546-9494.