A root canal treatment is a dental process that involves the removal of damage to your tooth’s root. The procedure is done to preserve the natural tooth and prevent further decay.
Yet, despite the obvious benefits of a root canal treatment, many patients have doubts about getting one. For this category of patients, any doubts revolve around how long the treatment takes. After all, no one wants to spend their entire day at the dentist.
For another category of root canal patients, their queries have to do with how long it takes to recover from the treatment. Perhaps you have a future speaking engagement at work and are wondering how long recovery from a root canal will take.
Both sets of queries are valid, and we’ll provide short answers in this blog. Here’s your comprehensive guide to the treatment timeline for a standard root canal.
How Long Does Root Canal Treatment at the Dentist Take?
A root canal treatment can take between 90 to 180 minutes. Additionally, the process can require more than one visit. Hence, you may find yourself going back to the dentist to complete the process on multiple trips.
A quick root canal treatment (less than 100 minutes) is possible if you notice the problem early enough and undergo the process swiftly. However, remember that depending on the severity of the root canal, the time you’ll spend in the dentist’s chair will vary.
Required dental prep before a root canal treatment eats into how long the procedure takes. For instance, anesthesia setup and administration take time and can increase how long you eventually spend at the dentist.
Furthermore, expect your dentist to spend considerable time scraping debris on the root canal. In addition, they’ll have to disinfect and rinse out your gum. This process takes longer for multiple canals.
Lastly, the timeline for root canal treatment will depend on the specific tooth requiring attention. Typically, molars take longer than other teeth in the mouth.
Here’s what we mean.
Molars
Typically, molars take the longest time during root canal due to the multiple canals per tooth. A molar tooth can have up to four canals, prompting longer time spent on each canal. In some extreme cases, a single molar tooth can take up to an hour or more to cleanse.
Premolars
If molars have a front-row seat in the extended timeline for root canal treatment, premolars have the next best seat. However, unlike their enamel companions, premolars usually possess about two roots. Hence, the time taken to cleanse the root canal of a single premolar can last about 40 minutes to an hour.
Canines and Incisors
These two teeth are located in front of the mouth and are responsible for cutting food up for chewing. The possibility of a quick root canal treatment applies mainly to these teeth because they possess only one root. Hence, an average canine or incisor root canal procedure can last about 30 minutes.
Related Article: How Long Before You Can Eat After a Filling?
Scheduling Your Day around a Root Canal Appointment
At the very least, you’ll spend 90 minutes at your root canal treatment with an Ontario dentist. In addition, you’ll want to make an appointment that won’t interfere with your other appointments or responsibilities.
Whereas some root canal operations may require one visit. You may often need to visit the dentist’s office twice. The approach to preparing for how long you’ll spend at the dentist depends on which visit it is.
Knowing the time taken for both visitations, you can adequately plan your trips to the dentist. You should also consider recovery and aftercare. After a root canal, your teeth will require 2-4 days to recover.
Once you map out the possible time it will take for both visits, you can predict your movement correctly. Therefore, your root canal operation wouldn’t have to interfere with your regular life.
First Visit
Depending on the root canal damage, the first appointment will mainly be for the removal of the damaged tooth or infected canal. Unfortunately, this process also takes a long time due to its precise nature.
The dentist requires utmost concentration and will spend considerable time on the root canal. Once the damaged tooth is gone, the dentist will place an antibiotic substance to numb the pain. This whole process can take between 60 to 90 minutes alone.
The antibiotic material will keep your mouth clean and free of infection until the second visit.
Second Visit
Where necessary, the second visit is when the root canal treatment will begin. At this point, the dentist will carry out all the necessary scrubbing and cleansing. Therefore, the second visit can last between 60 and 180 minutes, depending on the severity of root damage.
How Long to Recover from a Root Canal Treatment?
After a root canal treatment, the next logical question is how long recovery will take. Fortunately, you don’t have to wait too long before sinking your teeth into your favourite food.
Firstly, after the root canal procedure, you’ll experience some discomfort and pain for the next 2 to 3 days. Thankfully, right after the treatment, your dentist will prescribe painkillers to ease the pain.
Mind what and how you eat during those days. Don’t apply too much pressure on your jaw and avoid hard foods for those few days.
Related Article: How Long Should a Tooth Hurt After a Filling?
Wrapping it Up
A root canal treatment will preserve the integrity and longevity of your teeth. Plus, a successful root canal treatment only takes 90-180 minutes at the dentist.
At Osmin Denture, you can always move your dental appointment to ensure it doesn’t interfere with your daily life. Plus, our commitment to professional dental treatments and experience means you’ll spend the shortest possible time in the dentist’s chair.
Call 647-294-3310 to book a root canal appointment in our Ontario office.
