Stops the toothache at its source
Removing the infected nerve ends the pain the tooth has been causing.
Saving Teeth
Root canal treatment to save your tooth and stop the pain
Root canal treatment in Glasgow to save your tooth and stop the pain
The Treatment
Saving the tooth, ending the ache
A root canal sounds frightening. In reality it is the treatment that ends the pain you are already in. When the soft tissue inside a tooth, called the pulp, becomes infected or inflamed, usually because deep decay, a crack or a leaking filling has let bacteria reach it, the result is a deep, persistent ache that painkillers only blunt. Root canal treatment removes that damaged pulp, cleans out the inside of the tooth, then fills and seals it. The tooth stays in your mouth. You keep your own natural tooth instead of losing it.
At Day Night Dental we see people from across the city whose tooth has finally had enough. Often the pain has built up over days or weeks. Sometimes it arrives overnight. You will find us at 80 Hutcheson St in Merchant City, a couple of minutes on foot from Argyle Street and Queen Street stations and the St Enoch subway, so getting to us is easy from almost anywhere in central Glasgow.
The aim is simple. A root canal is about saving a tooth that would otherwise need to come out. The alternative is extraction, and once a tooth is gone, the only way back is an implant, bridge or denture. Where it can be saved, keeping your own tooth is often preferable to losing it. You will get a clear answer on whether your tooth can be saved before anything is decided.
Is This You?
A tooth that keeps you up at night?
When the soft pulp inside a tooth becomes infected or inflamed, it can throb, ache and steal your sleep. The pain often builds over days or weeks, then peaks at the worst possible moment. It is the kind of toothache that no longer settles on its own.
Root canal treatment is what ends that pain at its source. It removes the damaged pulp and saves the tooth, so you keep your own tooth rather than losing it. And if you are in pain right now, our emergency dentist page explains what to do and how to reach us.
Why Patients Choose It
Why a root canal can be worth it
Saves your natural tooth
The tooth stays in your mouth rather than being taken out.
Keeps you biting and chewing
You carry on using your own tooth instead of working around a gap.
Avoids the gap left by an extraction
No missing tooth to fill later with an implant, bridge or denture.
Done with the area fully numbed
Local anaesthetic means the treatment itself is not the painful part.
Open day and night, every day
A flaring tooth does not have to wait for a weekday appointment.
How It Works
Your root canal, step by step
01
Checking the tooth
The dentist examines the tooth and takes an X-ray to confirm the infection and to see the number, length and shape of the root canals. Everything that follows is planned from this.
02
Numbing the tooth
We give a local anaesthetic so the tooth and surrounding gum are completely numb. You will feel pressure and movement, but not pain.
03
Isolating the tooth
A thin rubber sheet, called a rubber dam, is placed around the tooth. It keeps the area clean and dry and stops anything reaching the back of your mouth.
04
Removing the pulp
We open the top of the tooth and clear out the infected or inflamed pulp from inside.
05
Cleaning and shaping the canals
Each canal inside the root is cleaned, shaped and disinfected one by one. Back teeth take longer here because they have more canals.
06
Filling and sealing
The cleaned canals are filled with a rubber-like material that seals them off. If the work spans two visits, a temporary dressing goes in between.
07
The permanent restoration
Once the tooth is settled, it gets a permanent filling and, for back teeth especially, a crown to protect it and bring back its strength.
After your treatment
Looking after the tooth
A root-treated tooth needs a little care while it settles and until it is fully restored. Here is what to expect.
The first few hours
- Your mouth stays numb for a while after the anaesthetic.
- Do not eat until the feeling has fully come back, or you risk biting your cheek, lip or tongue without knowing.
The first few days
- It is normal for the tooth and jaw to feel tender, especially when you bite. This usually settles within a few days.
- Over-the-counter painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol help if you need them.
- Some minor swelling or bruising near the tooth can happen and will calm down.
Eating and brushing
- Stick to soft, lukewarm food at first and go easy on very hot or very cold things for a day or two.
- Avoid hard biting or heavy chewing on the treated tooth until it has its permanent filling or crown, because it is fragile until then.
- Keep brushing and flossing as normal, just gently around the area.
Coming back for the crown
- If you have a temporary filling or are waiting on a crown, do not put it off.
- A root-treated tooth is vulnerable until it is properly restored, and delaying raises the risk of it fracturing or the treatment failing.
When to call us
- Get in touch if the pain is severe, does not respond to painkillers, or the swelling gets worse rather than better.
Honest considerations
The trade-offs, in full
A root canal is a safe, routine treatment. Despite an old myth, there is no good evidence that root canals are harmful to your wider health. That said, there are trade-offs worth understanding before you decide.
A root-treated tooth has lost its nerve and blood supply. Over time that makes it more brittle and more likely to crack, which is exactly why a crown is so often recommended for back teeth. The crown is not an upsell. It is what protects the tooth you have just spent time saving.
No treatment works every time. Root canal treatment is well-established and routine, but a small number do not heal fully, sometimes because a canal is curved, narrow or blocked. If that happens, the tooth can often be retreated, or further options can be discussed with you. Occasionally a flare-up needs antibiotics.
The main alternative to a root canal is taking the tooth out. Extraction is sometimes the right call if the tooth is too far gone. But replacing a missing tooth with an implant, bridge or denture is more involved than saving the one you already have. Your dentist will set out which option makes more sense for your tooth, and why.
Common Questions
Root canal questions, answered
What is root canal treatment and what does it treat?
It treats the pulp, the soft tissue of nerves and blood vessels in the centre of your tooth. When the pulp gets infected or inflamed, it is removed, the inside of the tooth is cleaned and sealed, and the tooth is saved rather than taken out.
How do I know if I need a root canal? What are the warning signs?
Common signs include a lasting or severe toothache, pain when you bite or press on the tooth, sensitivity to hot or cold that lingers after the source is gone, the tooth darkening in colour, swollen or tender gums, or a small boil or pimple on the gum near the tooth. If any of these sound familiar, get it checked.
Does root canal treatment hurt?
The treatment itself should not. The tooth and surrounding area are fully numbed with local anaesthetic, so you feel pressure and movement rather than pain. Many find the treatment itself far more comfortable than they expected.
Why does root canal have such a painful reputation then?
Because the pain people remember usually came before the treatment, from the infection itself. By the time someone reaches the chair they are often already in a lot of pain. The root canal is what relieves it, not what causes it.
How long does it take and how many visits will I need?
Usually one or two visits. A front tooth with a single canal is the quickest, often well under an hour in the chair. A back molar with three or four canals takes longer, sometimes a couple of hours of chair time in total, and may be split across two appointments. We will give you a clear idea once we have seen the tooth.
Will I need a crown afterwards, and why?
For back teeth, usually yes. Without its nerve and blood supply a root-treated tooth becomes more brittle and can discolour, and molars take the heaviest chewing forces, so a crown protects them from cracking. Front teeth are under less load and can often be rebuilt with a filling alone. Your dentist will recommend whichever your tooth actually needs.
What happens if I put off a root canal?
The infection inside the tooth cannot clear up on its own, because badly damaged pulp has no way to heal. Left alone, it can develop into an abscess, the pain and swelling tend to get worse, and the bone around the root can be damaged. The longer it is left, the lower the chance the tooth can be saved, and extraction may end up as the only option. Antibiotics can calm a flare-up, but they do not fix the cause.
My old root canal is playing up again. Can it be redone?
Often, yes. A root-treated tooth that flares up months or years later can frequently be retreated. The old root filling is removed, the canals are cleaned and disinfected again, and the tooth is resealed. Where retreatment is unlikely to succeed, the realistic options are usually a specialist referral or extraction, and an examination and X-ray will show which makes sense for your tooth.
How much does root canal treatment cost in Glasgow?
Every mouth is different, so the honest answer is that it depends on you: which tooth needs treating (a single-canal front tooth is simpler than a molar with three or four canals), whether it is a first-time treatment or a retreatment of an old root filling, and what the tooth needs afterwards, from a filling to a crown. At your consultation the dentist will go through your options and the cost of each, and you will get a written, itemised quote before anything is agreed. Nothing goes ahead until you are happy.
It is the middle of the night and my tooth is throbbing. What should I do right now?
Take over-the-counter pain relief such as ibuprofen or paracetamol if they are safe for you, keep your head propped up on a pillow, and avoid anything very hot, cold or sweet. A cold compress against the cheek can calm the throbbing, but never hold aspirin against the gum, as it burns the soft tissue. Then phone us, whatever the hour. We answer day and night, every day, hold same-day emergency slots and aim to see you quickly. If you would rather use the NHS urgent route, it is NHS 24 on 111 out of hours, or the Glasgow Dental Hospital.
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