Root canals have earned themselves a reputation for being painful, but it’s not entirely accurate.
As the procedure is completed under local anaesthetic, the only thing patients feel during the treatment is pressure – it’s often the thought and the experience that causes fear.
As a specialist clinic, we offer advanced root canal procedures that utilise modern techniques and technology to minimise the invasiveness of the process and keep any discomfort to a minimum, both during and after the procedure.
Summary of what to expect:
- Pain during treatment: 80% of patients report little or no pain.
- Pain after treatment: Pain is common on day 1 but usually mild.
- One week later: Only 11% still have any discomfort.
- Months later: Around 10% report mild sensitivity
Pain during the procedure
- 80% rated no or minimal pain (rated 1 or less out of 10)
- 20% reported some discomfort
It’s typical for patients to report feeling no pain at all during a root canal. In fact, certain studies that use the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), where 0 means no pain and 10 represents the worst imaginable, show that 4/5 patients would rate their pain as 1 or less out of 10.
What’s the pain like after the procedure during recovery?
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The dataset reveals that the vast majority of patients experience little more than pressure or mild discomfort during the procedure, with further studies indicating that 54% of patients reported feeling no sensation at all (source: PubMed).
Once the local anaesthetic wears off, the discomfort typically peaks within the first 12-24 hours, but after this, it declines rather quickly, with a rare 7% of patients reporting severe pain.
By the end of the week, pain and discomfort are minimal or completely gone for most patients. Pain after this stage might indicate a complication or infection.
The recovery process
Recovery milestones and what to expect at each stage:
- First 24 hours: Peak discomfort, mostly mild
- 2–3 days: Noticeable reduction in pain
- 5–7 days: Little to no pain for most people
- After final crown/filling: Full comfort and function restored
Pain relief tips for a successful recovery:
- Take ibuprofen or paracetamol as directed
- Avoid chewing on the treated tooth until fully restored
- Use a cold compress for swelling in the first 24 hours
- Contact your dentist if the pain worsens or lasts beyond a week
Are you nervous about the procedure in general?
It’s normal to feel nervous or even fearful of a root canal. There are plenty of horror stories about how root canals were carried out in the past, which seem to have been passed down through generations. But having a chat with our team can quickly put your mind at ease.
At Neyo Dental, we offer dental sedation for extremely phobic patients who might struggle to sit in a chair for a certain amount of time.
By offering IV sedation, we can keep you fully conscious, but completely calm during your appointment, where you’ll have no memory of the procedure, and no memory = no pain.
To learn more about sedation, click here, or talk to a member of our team about it today.
