Root canal treatment in Rugby · the honest guide
Does a root canal hurt? What it actually feels like, during and after
Written by Dr Tim Bond, principal dentist at Rugby Smiles, postgraduate diploma in endodontics, University of Warwick · Reviewed September 2026
The short answer: no. The tooth is fully numbed, you feel pressure and vibration rather than pain, and it takes 60 to 90 minutes. The agony people associate with the words is the toothache before treatment. The root canal is what ends it.
Root canals carry a reputation they have not deserved for decades. What most people are remembering is the throbbing, sleepless toothache that brought them in, or a relative’s story from the 1980s. Here is what the appointment is like now, what the days afterwards feel like, and the two things that mean you should ring us.
In pain now? Call 01788 579 577 for a £50 same-day emergency slot. Root canal treatment in Rugby.
During the appointment
The injection
The one thing most patients say they felt all appointment. We numb the tooth properly and check before we start; if you can feel anything sharp, you tell us and we stop and top up.
The work
Pressure, vibration and the sound of the drill, with a rubber sheet over the tooth to keep it dry and keep water out of your mouth. Longer than a filling, at 60 to 90 minutes, but not more painful.
The relief
For a tooth that was throbbing, the pain usually drops the moment the nerve is removed. Many people leave feeling better than they arrived, even before the anaesthetic has worn off.
“The horror story is the toothache. By the time someone is in the chair for a root canal, the worst part is already behind them.”
Dr Tim Bond, principal dentist, Rugby Smiles
The days afterwards
Expect the tooth to feel tender to bite on for two to five days, and the gum around it to feel bruised. A dull ache on the first evening is normal, and paracetamol or ibuprofen at packet doses is usually enough. Chew on the other side until the tenderness settles, and avoid anything very hard on that tooth until it has its final filling or crown.
If the infection was large, the tooth can take a week or two to settle fully, because the bone around the root is healing. That is expected, and it improves day by day.
When it is not normal
- Pain that is getting worse after the third day rather than better
- Swelling in the gum or face that appears or grows after treatment
- A tooth that feels tall, so you hit it first when you bite: it needs a small adjustment, which takes minutes
- Pain that stops you sleeping despite painkillers
Any of those, ring 01788 579 577 and we will see you. Most are quick fixes; occasionally a tooth needs a second visit to finish, which we tell you about before it happens.
Nervous about it? That is most people
Root canals are one of the treatments nervous patients dread most, and one of the ones that surprises them most. Tell us when you book: unhurried appointments, everything explained before it happens, and IV sedation at £500 if you would rather be deeply relaxed throughout. How we look after nervous patients.
The exception: the hot tooth
Once in a while a tooth that has been throbbing for days is genuinely hard to numb. The inflamed nerve is acidic, and ordinary anaesthetic works less well in acidic tissue. Dentists call it a hot tooth. The answer is more time, a different anaesthetic technique and sometimes a small injection directly into the tooth once the first stage is open. It is manageable, and it is the reason we would rather see a toothache early than after a week of painkillers: the longer the nerve has been inflamed, the harder the tooth is to numb.
Pain on biting afterwards, and what it means
Tender to bite, days one to five
Normal. The ligament around the root is bruised from the work and the infection. Chew on the other side and it settles.
A tooth that feels tall
The temporary filling is a fraction high, so you hit it first. A minute’s adjustment fixes it. Ring us; do not put up with it.
Pain that returns weeks later
Uncommon. It can mean a canal was missed, a crack, or a tooth that needs a crown it has not yet had. We look, and we tell you honestly what it is.
Root canal on a dead tooth
If the nerve has already died, which is often why the toothache stopped on its own, the root canal is usually the least painful of all, because there is no living nerve to react. The work is the same: clean, disinfect, seal. Dead teeth are the ones most likely to have an abscess brewing at the root, so an X-ray first tells us how much infection there is to settle. Abscess and facial swelling covers the emergency end of that.
Questions people ask
Does a root canal hurt more than an extraction?
No. Both are done under full anaesthetic. A root canal takes longer in the chair but leaves you with your own tooth and less soreness afterwards than a socket healing.
How long does root canal pain last afterwards?
Two to five days of tenderness to bite, easing daily. A large infection can take a week or two to settle completely.
Why does my tooth still hurt after a root canal?
Some tenderness is normal for a few days. Pain that is worsening after day three, swelling, or a tooth that feels tall needs a quick review, and we will see you.
Can I go to work after a root canal?
Yes. The anaesthetic wears off over two to three hours. Most people go back to work the same day and eat on the other side that evening.
Do you use sedation for root canals?
Yes, IV sedation at £500 for patients who want it. Many people find the anaesthetic alone is enough once they have had one and know what it feels like.
What is a hot tooth?
A tooth whose nerve is so inflamed that ordinary anaesthetic works less well. It is managed with extra time and different techniques, and it is the main reason to see a toothache early rather than late.
Does a root canal on a dead tooth hurt?
Usually less than on a living one, because there is no nerve to react. The infection around the root is what needs settling, and an X-ray shows how much there is.
Out of pain, and the tooth kept
An assessment with an X-ray tells you whether the tooth is worth saving, what it will cost in writing, and whether it needs a crown afterwards. If the answer is extraction, we say so.
Read next: what it costs · root canal or extraction? · root canal treatment in Rugby · Rugby Smiles Dental Clinic · 3 Newbold Road, Rugby CV21 2LQ · 01788 579 577