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Root Canal & Endodontics
The treatment with the worst reputation and one of the highest success rates — and the one where the difference between a good and a poor outcome is almost entirely invisible to the patient.
A root canal either cleans and seals the whole canal system or it does not. If it does, the tooth commonly lasts decades. If it leaves an untreated branch, or a sealed-in bacterial reservoir, the tooth aches again in three years and the retreatment is harder than the original.
None of that is visible from the chair, and it is not reliably visible on a standard X-ray either. Which is why the equipment and the case selection matter more here than the bedside manner.
What we look for
Magnification and illumination as standard, not on request. CBCT available for retreatment and for teeth with unusual anatomy, where a two-dimensional film routinely misses a canal. Rubber dam on every case. We treat this as non-negotiable in our own review, and it is still sometimes skipped. Documented outcomes, including the cases that failed and what happened next. And a clear threshold for referring to an endodontist rather than attempting a difficult molar.
Questions worth asking
Should a specialist do this? Many general dentists treat front teeth and straightforward premolars very well. Curved molar roots, retreatments and anything already symptomatic after treatment are a different question.
How many canals does this tooth have, and how do you know? Anatomy varies, and a missed canal is the commonest reason for failure. The answer should reference the imaging rather than the average.
Will I need a crown afterwards, and is it in the quote? Back teeth commonly need one to reduce the risk of fracture. A root canal quote that excludes it is not the real cost.
What are the alternatives, honestly? Extraction and an implant is a real option, not a failure. Ask what each costs over ten years before deciding.
Where we've reviewed endodontists.
No city has completed a review for this procedure yet. Every market is open to nomination.
Nobody is listed for this yet.
We only list dentists where the review has actually been completed. Nominate a dentist and this page becomes the first market covered.
Root Canal & Endodontics.
Is a root canal painful?
The treatment itself is usually not, with adequate local anesthesia — the pain people associate with root canals is generally the infection that made it necessary. Some tenderness for a few days afterwards is normal. Pain that worsens after a week is worth reporting rather than waiting out.
How long does a root-canal-treated tooth last?
Frequently decades. The strongest predictors are whether the canal system was fully cleaned and sealed and whether the tooth was properly protected afterwards, usually with a crown. A treated tooth that fractures has more often failed structurally than endodontically.
Is it better to just extract the tooth and have an implant?
Sometimes, but not by default. Keeping a tooth that can be predictably treated is usually preferable, and cheaper. The calculation changes when the tooth is badly cracked, has little remaining structure, or has already failed retreatment.