Root canal treatment
Root canal treatment in Ipswich
Root canal treatment clears infection from inside a tooth so you can keep it instead of having it taken out. It is done under local anaesthetic, usually over two or three visits.
Root canal treatment is £495 to £795, depending on the tooth. A back tooth usually needs a crown afterwards, from £850. If you are in pain now, ring us so we can see you as soon as possible.
What it is for
Signs a root canal could help
Inside a tooth is soft tissue called the pulp, which contains the nerve and blood vessels. Decay, a crack or a knock can let bacteria reach it, and that is what causes the ache. These are the signs to book an assessment for.
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Toothache that keeps coming back
A deep, throbbing ache that comes and goes, or wakes you at night.
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Tenderness when you bite
Discomfort when you press on one tooth, often with a feeling that it sits slightly high.
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Sensitivity that lingers
A twinge to hot or cold that carries on after the drink has gone.
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Swelling near a tooth
Swelling of the gum or the face. Ring us the same day so we can help quickly.
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A tooth that has darkened
One tooth turning greyer than the others, sometimes long after a knock.
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A small bump on the gum
A small bump on the gum, sometimes with a bad taste. Contact the practice for advice, even if it does not hurt.
In pain today? Call us and we will see you as soon as we can. Our emergency page explains what happens at an urgent appointment and what it costs. Not every tooth that needs treating gives symptoms, so some are picked up on an X-ray at a routine check-up.
What happens
What the treatment involves
A front tooth usually has one root canal and a back tooth up to four, which is why a back tooth can take an extra visit.
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Assessment and X-ray
An X-ray shows the roots and what is going on inside the tooth, and whether the tooth can be kept.
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Numbing the tooth
Local anaesthetic, as for a filling, and your dentist checks the tooth is fully numb before starting. If you have found it hard to go numb before, say so and we will allow for it.
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Clearing the canals
Your dentist makes a small opening in the tooth and removes the affected pulp from the root canals.
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Cleaning and shaping
The canals are cleaned, disinfected and shaped ready for filling.
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Filling and sealing
The canals are filled and sealed so bacteria cannot get back in. Between visits the tooth is protected with a temporary filling.
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Rebuilding the tooth
The tooth is rebuilt with a permanent filling or, on most back teeth, a crown, so it can take chewing again.
Some tenderness for a few days afterwards is normal and eases with ordinary painkillers. Your dentist tells you what to expect and when to ring.
The real decision
Keep the tooth, or take it out?
Where a tooth can be kept, keeping it is usually the better value over time. Compare the full cost of each route, including the crown or the replacement tooth, before you decide.
Option one
Root canal treatment
£495 to £795, plus a crown from £850 where one is needed
- Keeps your own tooth and the bite around it
- Nothing to replace afterwards
- Usually two or three visits
- Your dentist checks first that the tooth can be kept
Option two
Taking the tooth out
From £150, or from £350 for a surgical extraction
- Usually one visit
- Leaves a gap, which can be filled later with an implant or a bridge
- Any replacement tooth is a separate cost
What replacing a tooth costs. A single implant with a crown starts from £2,500. A bridge to replace one tooth usually covers three teeth, the gap and the tooth on each side, each from £850. Compare that with the root canal cost before you decide. See our single tooth implants page.
What it costs
What root canal treatment costs in Ipswich
The price depends on the tooth: back teeth have more canals and usually need a crown afterwards. Your dentist will check it suits you at the assessment, and results vary from person to person.
Private fees
| Root canal treatment | £495–£795 |
|---|---|
| Crown, usually needed on a back tooth afterwards | from £850 |
| White composite filling, where a crown is not needed | £150–£400 |
| Simple extraction, as the alternative | from £150 |
| Surgical extraction, as the alternative | from £350 |
| Large X-ray | £60 |
Spreading the cost
Membership from £14.75 a month
Three plans cover routine examinations, hygiene appointments or both, which is the care that looks after a treated tooth. You can start using your plan's appointments after six monthly payments.
Compare membership plansWorth knowing
The figure you get is the whole figure
You get the cost in writing before anything starts, and for a back tooth that includes the crown, so there is one total to plan for.
See the full fee listCommon questions
Root canal questions
If yours is not here, ring us.
Does it hurt?
The tooth is fully numbed first, as for a filling. Most of the pain people link with root canals is the toothache before it, not the treatment. If you feel anything during it, say so and your dentist will top up the anaesthetic.
How many appointments?
Usually two or three, sometimes more for a back tooth with several canals. The tooth is sealed with a temporary filling between visits, so it is protected while you wait.
Will I need a crown afterwards?
Usually on a back tooth, because a treated tooth is weaker and a crown protects it when you chew. Front teeth can often be finished with a filling instead. The crown is from £850 and is included in the total you are given.
How long will the tooth last?
A well treated and well restored tooth can last many years. How long depends on how much sound tooth is left, whether it is crowned, and how you look after it, so your dentist will talk you through your own tooth.
Will antibiotics fix it instead?
Antibiotics can settle swelling for a while, but they cannot reach the inside of a tooth that has lost its blood supply, so the infection comes back. Root canal treatment or extraction removes the cause.
Can I drive and go back to work?
Ask your dentist for advice about driving and returning to work. While your mouth is numb, avoid hot food and drinks and chewing on the affected side.
What if the cost is a worry?
Say so when you book. All our fees are published, you get the total in writing before you decide, and for larger treatment you can ask us how payment works, including the 50% deposit. Membership from £14.75 a month spreads the cost of the routine care that follows.
Toothache? Call us
Ring for an assessment and we will find the cause and tell you what keeping the tooth would cost. We are at 51 Berners Street in central Ipswich.