Root Canal Therapy
Saving your tooth — more comfortably than you expect.
When the nerve inside a tooth becomes infected, the pain can be exhausting — and no amount of painkillers will fix it. Root canal treatment gets you out of pain, clears the infection, and lets you keep your own tooth.
Why it matters
Toothache is your body telling you something is wrong
Teeth are tiny but the nerve inside can cause enormous pain when it's compromised. Left alone, an infected tooth doesn't heal on its own — the infection can spread into the bone, into the sinus, or into the surrounding tissues. The earlier you call, the more options we have, and the more comfortable the treatment usually is.
What's involved
What actually happens during a root canal
Under local anaesthetic, we open a small hole in the top of the tooth, gently clean out the infected nerve tissue from the root channels, shape and disinfect the inside, then fill and seal it. Most people describe it as "a longer filling" — not the horror show the movies suggest.
Afterwards, the tooth needs a crown to protect it from fracturing, since root-canal-treated teeth are more brittle. The crown goes on at a follow-up visit and wraps the tooth like a helmet, letting it work like a normal tooth again.
How we do it at Austral
Calm, generous chair time, and honest options
We take our time with root canals. Rushed root canals are the ones that hurt. We give you more chair time than a standard appointment, explain what's happening as we go, and check in constantly so you can signal if anything is sensitive.
We'll also be upfront if a root canal isn't the best call for your situation. Some teeth can't be saved — and when that's the case, we'd rather tell you early and plan for an extraction plus implant or bridge than push on with treatment that won't last.
FAQs
Questions people usually ask
Is a root canal really that painful?
This is the biggest myth in dentistry. With modern anaesthetic and instruments, most patients tell us the actual treatment feels similar to having a deep filling — the pain they remember is usually the toothache that brought them in, which settles quickly once we get started.
Why not just pull the tooth out?
You can, but losing a tooth sets off a cascade — the teeth next door drift, the bone shrinks, and you then need an implant or a bridge to fill the gap. A root canal lets you keep your own tooth, which is almost always the better option long term if the tooth is restorable.
How long does a root-canal-treated tooth last?
With a crown on top to protect it, a root-canal-treated tooth can last a lifetime. Without a crown, the tooth is at higher risk of fracturing, which is why we almost always recommend crowning a back tooth after root canal treatment.
How many visits does it take?
Usually one or two visits, depending on which tooth it is and how complicated the root anatomy is. We will give you a clear plan and quote before we start.
In pain? Call us today.
If you've been putting up with a toothache, stop. Call early in the day and we'll do our best to see you the same day.
Call 02 9606 0553