Root canal
Root Canal Treatment in Edison, NJ
A root canal relieves the pain of an infected or abscessed tooth and saves it from removal. Modern technique makes it about as comfortable as getting a routine filling.
- Saves your natural tooth
- Often seen the same week for pain
- Usually one or two visits
- Most PPO insurance accepted
Signs you may need a root canal
A root canal treats infection or damage deep inside a tooth, in the pulp where the nerve and blood supply are. These are the symptoms that bring most people in:
- Lingering, throbbing tooth pain, especially when chewing or under pressure
- Sensitivity to hot or cold that keeps hurting after the source is gone
- A tooth that has darkened or discoloured compared with its neighbours
- A pimple-like bump on the gum, or swelling and tenderness nearby
- A deep cavity, or a tooth that is visibly cracked
What to do while you wait for the appointment
Over-the-counter ibuprofen usually takes the edge off better than paracetamol for dental pain, because most of what you are feeling is pressure from inflammation. Rinse with warm salt water, keep the tooth clean, and chew on the other side. Do not hold aspirin against the gum — it burns the tissue and does nothing for the tooth underneath.
When it stops being something to book and starts being urgent
Swelling of the face or jaw, a fever, or a bad taste that keeps coming back means the infection has spread beyond the tooth. Call (732) 985-1120 the same day. If the swelling is affecting your breathing or swallowing, that is a hospital emergency room, not a dental office — go, and call us afterwards. Call (732) 985-1120 or see emergency dental care.
What a root canal actually is
Inside every tooth is a soft core — the pulp — carrying the nerve and blood supply. A deep cavity, a crack, or a hard knock can let bacteria reach it, and once the pulp is infected it does not recover on its own. The infection has two ways out: through the root tip into the bone, which is what an abscess is, or through the dentist.
A root canal removes that infected tissue, disinfects the space it came out of, and seals it. The tooth stays. It has no living nerve afterwards, which is why it stops hurting, and it goes on doing its job in your bite for decades.
The name describes the anatomy, not the experience. The canals are the narrow channels running down each root, and treating them is the entire procedure.
What happens during the appointment
The procedure is more straightforward than its reputation suggests, and most of it you will not feel at all.
We confirm it is the tooth you think it is
An X-ray and a couple of simple tests — cold, tapping, biting — because referred pain is common and the tooth that hurts is not always the tooth that is infected. Treating the wrong one is the mistake worth taking ten minutes to avoid.
We numb it properly
An infected tooth can be harder to numb than a healthy one, which is where most horror stories come from. We check that you are numb before starting, and top up if you are not. Tell us at any point if you feel anything sharp.
The pulp comes out and the canals are cleaned
A small opening through the top of the tooth, the infected tissue removed, then the canals cleaned and disinfected along their whole length. This is the part that takes the time, and the part you feel least.
The space is sealed
Filled with a rubber-like material so bacteria cannot get back in, and closed with a filling. On a straightforward tooth this is the same visit; on a badly infected one we sometimes medicate it and finish at a second appointment.
The tooth gets a crown
A treated back tooth is more brittle than it was and is carrying your chewing load. A crown over the top is what stops it splitting a year later. This is a separate appointment, and skipping it is the single most common reason a root canal fails.
Does a root canal hurt?
This is the question we hear most, and the honest answer is that the reputation is forty years out of date. The pain people associate with root canals is the pain of the infection that makes one necessary. The treatment is what takes it away.
With modern anaesthetic most patients say the appointment feels about like having a filling done, just longer. You will be numb for a few hours afterwards. The tooth is usually tender to bite on for two or three days while the ligament around the root settles, and ibuprofen handles it.
If the pain is worse after a week rather than better, call us. That is not normal and we want to see you.
Afterwards
Chew on the other side until the crown is on — a tooth with a temporary filling is not at full strength. Brush and floss it exactly as you would any other tooth, because the gum and the root surface can still get disease even though the nerve is gone. Come back for the crown appointment. A treated tooth that gets crowned lasts as long as the teeth around it; one that never gets crowned often cracks within a couple of years, and a cracked root cannot be repaired.
Root canal or pull the tooth?
When a tooth is badly infected these are the two real options, and it is worth understanding what each one costs you beyond the appointment.
Keeping the tooth preserves your bite exactly as it is. Nothing drifts, nothing over-erupts into the gap, and the bone that the root holds in place stays where it is.
Taking it out is cheaper on the day and more expensive afterwards. The gap does not stay a gap: neighbouring teeth lean into it, the opposing tooth grows down towards it, and filling it later with a bridge or an implant costs considerably more than the root canal and crown would have. Some teeth genuinely cannot be saved, and we will tell you plainly when yours is one of them. Most can.
What it costs
The price depends on which tooth — a front tooth has one canal, a molar usually has three or four — and on the crown that follows. We accept major PPO dental insurance and verify your specific benefits before you come in, so the number we give you is the number you pay. Paying out of pocket, ask us and we will price the root canal and the crown together, because that is the real cost of the decision.
See the insurance we accept, or call (732) 985-1120 and we will verify your benefits before you come in.
Reviewed by
Dr. Michael Lesnianski, DDS
Doctor of Dental Surgery, New York University College of Dentistry, graduated with Clinical Honors; residency at Woodhull Medical Center, Brooklyn.
Last reviewed
Does a root canal hurt?
Not the way people fear. The pain comes from the infection, and the root canal relieves it. With modern anaesthetic most patients say it feels about like getting a filling, and any soreness afterward is usually mild and gone in a few days.
How many visits does a root canal take?
Many are finished in one visit, and a badly infected tooth sometimes takes two. The crown that protects the tooth afterwards is a separate appointment on top of that.
Do I really need a crown after a root canal?
On a back tooth, yes. Removing the pulp leaves the tooth more brittle while it carries your chewing load, and a crown is what stops it splitting later. A split root cannot be repaired, so this is the step worth not skipping.
How much does a root canal cost in Edison?
It depends on which tooth is treated and on the crown afterwards. We accept major PPO dental insurance and verify your benefits beforehand, and we will give you a clear estimate for the whole thing before starting.
Can I just have the tooth pulled instead?
You can, and it is cheaper on the day. It is usually more expensive within a few years, because the gap moves the teeth around it and filling it with a bridge or an implant costs more than the root canal and crown would have.
Tooth extraction →How long does a root-canal-treated tooth last?
Properly treated and crowned, it can last as long as your other teeth. It still needs brushing, flossing and check-ups: the nerve is gone, but the gum around it and the root surface are not immune to anything.
Dental crowns →Where to find us
Edison Dental Studio is at 96 Plainfield Ave, Edison, NJ 08817. The practice has cared for families in Edison for more than 50 years. You can reach us at (732) 985-1120.
- Monday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Tuesday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Wednesday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Thursday
- Closed
- Friday
- 9 AM – 5 PM
- Saturday
- 8 AM – 1 PM
- Sunday
- Closed
Part of our restorative dentistry care.
Think you need a root canal?
If a tooth has been hurting for more than a day or two, get it looked at. Early is simpler, cheaper and more comfortable than late. Call (732) 985-1120 or book online.