Skip to main content
Go to home page
Call +441138879594
Enquire Now ➜
In The News

How Long Does A Root Canal Take To Complete?

If you think your tooth is infected and in need of a root canal, contact Yorkshire Dental Suite. We offer same and next-day appointments (subject to availability), meaning we can treat your discomfort almost immediately.

The average root canal appointment takes 60 – 90 minutes to complete. The duration of the procedure increases if your tooth has a complex anatomy, or one of the back teeth (molars) are being treated. In more complex cases, multiple appointments may be needed to ensure all of the infected material is removed.

Root canal consultation

Every root canal patient requires a consultation. Lasting up to 45 minutes, this in-person appointment includes an X-ray to confirm that there is damage caused by a bacterial infection, and a root canal is indeed necessary.

First appointment

As mentioned earlier, 60 – 90 minutes is the usual duration of the procedure. To give you a clear idea as to what the day of the treatment will look like, we have broken it down for you below step by step.

  1. You are first given your choice of sedation or local anaesthetic
  2. A piece of rubber is placed inside the mouth, covering everything but the tooth
  3. A small hole is made inside of the tooth
  4. The nerves, tissues and blood vessels are cleaned out of the tooth
  5. The inside of the tooth is then disinfected with a liquid
  6. Finally, the tooth is sealed with a temporary filling

Some root canals take longer to complete. For example, teeth with thin or curved canals are tricker to remove the infection from as there are structural limitations and visibility problems to work with. One type of tooth that typically takes longer to treat due to its complex canals is a molar.

Second appointment

For some patients, multiple root canal appointments are needed to make sure all of the infected or decayed material is removed. Alternatively, if the procedure was completed in just one visit, it’s time to move onto the next stage of the treatment.

This includes sealing the tooth with a permanent filling or crown. Before getting started, your dentist will give you a rough estimate as to how long the appointment will last, as well as aftercare advice.

Recovering from a root canal

Everyone heals at a different rate. However, it usually takes 3 – 7 days for a patient to recover from a root canal. Complex cases may take up to 2 weeks. To help speed up recovery and minimise the risk of re-infection, try the following:

  • Take your normal over-the-counter pain medication (eases discomfort)
  • Stick to a soft food diet for at least two days post-procedure (eases discomfort)
  • Maintain a great oral hygiene routine (can prevent re-infection)
  • Avoid smoking, vaping and drinking alcohol (delays healing)
  • Do not chew on the side of the treated tooth (increases risk of fracture, may cause pain)

Most importantly, if your discomfort is severe or persists for more than 2 weeks, please contact your dentist. This could indicate that the root canal has failed or the tooth has become infected again.

The overall treatment timeline

From the very first consultation to the fitting of your crown or filling, how long does the root canal process take? The answer to this question is largely dependent on whether you go to a private or NHS practice for your treatment.

A private clinic has a much shorter waiting list, with some offering same and next-day consultations (ideal for patients experiencing discomfort). Thanks to this appointment availability, your consultation, procedure, healing period and final restoration fitting could be completed in as little as a month.

NHS clinics on the other hand have a lengthy waiting list, meaning you may be waiting months for an initial consultation alone. They also do not have the same equipment and tools that a private dentist has, limiting their ability to treat more complex cases. In fact, we often receive root canal referrals from NHS practices.

Conclusion:

Think you are in need of a root canal? Don’t put off your appointment any longer and book a consultation with Yorkshire Dental Suite. The earlier the infection is caught, the higher the chance of the tooth being saved.