People’s lives are busy, and it can be hard to find time to take care of everything you would like to. That can sometimes be true for people’s oral health—if you’re swamped at work or if you have kids, you might struggle to make it to the dentist’s office for biannual checkups and cleanings.
However, root canal therapy is the sort of thing you need to make time for, no matter what you have going on. If you’re wondering how you can fit one into your schedule, here’s what you should know about how long the procedure will take.
What Goes Into Root Canal Therapy?
First, it’s necessary to understand what root canal therapy actually is. It’s usually done to treat an infection deep within the tooth’s pulp, and involves removing the infected tissue from within the root.
Your dentist will open a hole in your tooth and, using specialized instruments, get rid of the infected areas within the root. They’ll then fill the root canal with a plastic substance and patch it up with a dental crown.
How Long Does Root Canal Therapy Take?
Typically, root canal therapy involves two appointments: one to perform the procedure, and another to place the dental crown on your tooth.
The procedure itself typically takes anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours to complete. This naturally depends on the severity of the infection, but it also varies between different kinds of teeth. Some teeth have more roots than others; incisors have only one, while molars have three. This makes molars more complicated to deal with, causing the procedure to take longer.
It’s also common for the dentist to prepare the tooth for the dental crown at this initial appointment, a process that takes an hour or so to finish. If your dentist sends the designs for your dental crown to the lab on the day of your root canal therapy, it’ll take a few weeks for it to be milled. Your dentist will cover the root-canaled tooth with a temporary crown to protect it during this period.
Once the restoration is finished, you’ll return to the office for a relatively short appointment. Actually placing the dental crown on your tooth should only take around 20-30 minutes, after which your tooth will look and feel good as new!
About the Author
Dr. Alison Garrad’s favorite thing about her work has always been making her patients smile, and she finds it enormously rewarding to be able to get to know her patients while educating them on how best to maintain their oral health.
After going to Stanford for her undergraduate degree, Dr. Garrad received her dental degree from the Texas A&M College of Dentistry, where she graduated in the top 5% of her class. Since then, she has pursued advanced education through the Academy of General Dentistry and the Spear Study Club.
If you have any questions about root canals, she can be reached at her website or by phone at (903) 455-6075.
