Save your natural tooth
Root Canal Therapy in Guelph
York Road Dental removes infected pulp and seals the canal to help save the tooth. Open Saturdays, with direct billing for insurers and CDCP.
Most people return to their routine the next day. Book online or call (519) 824-7333.
What Is a Root Canal, and When Do You Need One?
A root canal is a treatment that removes the infected or inflamed pulp inside a tooth, cleans the space and seals it, so you keep your natural tooth. The pulp is the soft tissue with the nerve in the centre of the tooth.
You may need root canal treatment when deep decay, a crack or an injury lets bacteria reach the pulp. This can lead to a tooth infection or a tooth abscess. Common signs are:
If the infection is not treated, it can spread to the bone and gum around the tooth, cause swelling and abscess, and in the end cost you the tooth. A root canal removes the source of the infection and can keep the tooth working.
Swelling or severe pain should not wait. Call us for same-day emergency care. If you are looking for a root canal dentist in Guelph, our dentist assesses the tooth first, and the treatment is done in our clinic.
The American Association of Endodontists describes how the pulp becomes inflamed or infected on its what is a root canal page.
How Does a Root Canal Work, Step by Step?
Root canal treatment in Guelph follows a set order. Your dentist explains each step before it starts. Tell us about your health history, any medications and any allergies when you book, so the visit is planned around you.
Molars have more than one canal, so a molar root canal can take longer than a front tooth. Root canals, including complex cases, are done in our clinic. After the canals are sealed, a filling or a crown rebuilds the tooth, so it can work like your other teeth again.
Dr. Natasha Kaushal, a general dentist registered with the RCDSO since 8 June 2018, assesses the tooth at your visit. She earned her DMD at the University of Manitoba in 2018.
Is a Root Canal Painful?
Your tooth is numbed before the work starts, so you should feel pressure rather than pain. Pain before treatment usually comes from the infected or inflamed pulp, which is what the root canal removes.
Dr. Natasha Kaushal says: "My goal is always to preserve your natural teeth whenever possible."
You may feel pressure and hear the instruments. At York Road Dental you can use a stop signal at any time, and we use numbing gel and offer breaks, music or TV, and blankets. Tell us if you are nervous and we plan extra time.
We cannot promise a painless visit, but we can explain what is happening and slow down. Tell us if you are nervous when you book. Read about care for dental anxiety.
What Is Recovery Like After a Root Canal?
Root canal recovery is usually quick, and most people return to their routine the next day. The tooth and the gum around it may feel tender for a few days, especially when you bite.
Avoid chewing hard food on that side
Brush and floss as usual, gently near the tooth
Take pain relief as your dentist advises
Call us if swelling or pain gets worse
Eat soft foods on the first day if the tooth feels tender. Most tenderness settles within a few days, and a tooth that hurts more each day needs a call to us.
A treated tooth is more fragile, so it is usually protected with a crown soon after. Read about a crown after a root canal, and keep your regular check-ups.
Root Canal or Extraction?
A root canal is usually the better choice when the tooth can be saved, and an extraction is advised when it cannot. Your dentist advises tooth by tooth, after an exam and digital X-rays.
Saving your own tooth keeps your bite and your chewing in balance, avoids a gap and keeps your smile natural. Extraction is advised when a tooth is too cracked, has too little tooth left or is too loose to save.
Feature
Root canal
Extraction
Your natural tooth
Kept
Removed
Gap afterwards
None
Often replaced
Choice
Dentist advises
Dentist advises
If a tooth cannot be saved, read about tooth extraction and how a missing tooth can be replaced.
Can You Be Seen the Same Day for Tooth Pain?
Yes. We offer same-day emergency visits during all opening hours, which are Monday to Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Call (519) 824-7333 as early as you can.
After hours, someone answers (519) 824-7333. We are closed on public holidays, so email info@yorkroaddental.ca then. See emergency and same-day dental care.
If you have severe swelling, trouble breathing or bleeding that will not stop, call 911 or go to the nearest hospital emergency department.
How Do You Pay for a Root Canal?
How much is a root canal? Root canal cost depends on the tooth, how many canals it has and your coverage, so we do not list one price here. Ask our team about the cost for your tooth, and about in-house payment plans. You can pay by cash, debit, Visa, Mastercard, American Express or e-transfer.
We direct-bill all major insurers, including Sun Life, Manulife, Canada Life, Green Shield, Blue Cross and Desjardins. CDCP patients are welcome, and we bill claims directly to the plan. A co-payment or other charges may still apply, so ask our team what you will pay before the visit.
See fees and insurance and the Canadian Dental Care Plan. The Government of Canada explains the plan on its dental care plan page.
Questions About Root Canals
What is a tooth abscess?
A tooth abscess is a pocket of infection at the tip of a tooth root or in the gum, and York Road Dental offers same-day emergency visits for it. It causes pain, swelling and sometimes a bad taste, so see your dentist at once.
Can an infected tooth heal without treatment?
No. York Road Dental treats an infected tooth with a root canal or, when the tooth cannot be saved, an extraction, because it does not heal on its own and the infection can spread.
What is the difference between a root canal and a filling?
A filling at York Road Dental repairs the outside of a tooth after decay is removed. A root canal treats the inside of the tooth, where the pulp is infected or inflamed. We offer both. See dental fillings.
Book Your Root Canal Visit in Guelph
Book an appointment at York Road Dental, and your online booking goes straight into our calendar. If you are in pain now, get same-day emergency care.