Modern root canals are routine, comfortable, and they save teeth that would otherwise have to come out. They’re not the dental bogeyman.
A root canal treats the soft tissue inside a tooth — the nerve and blood vessels — when it becomes infected or damaged. We clean out the canals, disinfect, and seal them. The tooth stays in place, works normally, and typically needs a crown afterward to protect the now-hollow tooth from fracture.
Most of our patients are surprised by how unremarkable the appointment is — it feels much like a large filling. Modern anaesthesia, good instruments, and an unrushed operator make the difference.
Deep decay reaching the nerve. A tooth that’s cracked into the nerve. Lingering pain after a filling. An abscess or dark discolouration. A tooth that’s sensitive to heat or cold in a way that doesn’t go away.
We treat the teeth where — with our experience and our tools — we’re confident we’ll have a successful result. Some — molars with unusual anatomy, retreatments, or cases with complications — benefit from a specialist endodontist. We have a short list of colleagues we trust and will refer directly if that’s the better call.
Gentle, honest dentistry in the heart of Oak Bay. We’ll take it from here.