Root canal treatment · Malanshof, Randburg
A deep toothache that won’t settle
A throb that keeps you up at night, a tooth that flinches at hot coffee — when the nerve inside is the problem, a root canal treats it and lets you keep the tooth.
Toothache right now? We keep same-day slots — and we answer.
Call nowWhy it happens
Every tooth carries a soft living core — the nerve and its blood supply — sealed inside the hard shell. Deep decay, a crack or a hard knock can let bacteria reach that core, and once it’s inflamed or infected, it has nowhere to swell.
That’s why the pain of a dying nerve is so distinctive: throbbing that arrives uninvited, a tooth that overreacts to heat, an ache that wakes you in the small hours. Left alone, the infection doesn’t burn out — it spreads to the bone at the root tip and becomes an abscess.
How we fix it
A root canal removes the inflamed or infected nerve, cleans and disinfects the fine canals inside the root, and seals them so bacteria can’t return. The tooth stays; only the nerve goes. It’s done under local anaesthetic, and for most patients it feels like a longer filling appointment — the treatment has a far scarier reputation than it deserves.
Expect one to two visits, depending on the tooth: back teeth have more canals to clean than front ones. A root-treated back tooth usually needs a crown afterwards to protect it, and we’ll tell you upfront if yours does. And if a tooth is genuinely too broken down to save, we’ll say so before we start — not after.
Keeping it fixed
A root-treated tooth can serve you for many years — this is how you protect it:
- Chew gently on that side until the final filling or crown is on — a tooth mid-treatment cracks more easily.
- If we recommend a crown, don’t shelve it: a root-treated back tooth without one has a habit of breaking.
- Brush and clean between your teeth as usual — the tooth can’t ache any more, but it can still decay at the gum line.
- Keep your check-ups, so we can confirm the bone around the root has healed the way it should.
What it costs
Medical aid rates. We quote before we treat.
Root canal treatment is quoted tooth by tooth — you’ll have the full quote, including the crown if one’s needed, before we start.
Questions patients ask
Does a root canal hurt?
Far less than its reputation. The treatment is done under local anaesthetic, and most patients say it feels like a longer filling appointment. Some tenderness for a few days afterwards is normal — and usually the toothache it ended was far worse.
How long does a root canal take?
Usually one to two visits, depending on the tooth — back teeth have more canals to clean than front ones. If the tooth needs a crown afterwards to protect it, that adds its own visits, and we’ll map out the whole plan before anything starts.
How do I know if I need a root canal?
The classic signs: a deep throb that arrives uninvited, a tooth that overreacts to heat, pain that wakes you at night, or a pimple-like spot on the gum. Only an examination and an X-ray can confirm it — book a visit and we’ll show you what we find.
Can I just take antibiotics instead of a root canal?
No — antibiotics may calm an infection for a while, but they can’t reach the dead nerve inside the tooth, so the problem always comes back. The source has to be cleaned out: either with root canal treatment, or by removing the tooth.
Is it better to pull the tooth instead?
Keeping your own tooth is almost always the better long-term call, and a root canal is how we save it. If a tooth is genuinely too broken down to be worth saving, we’ll tell you that honestly before we start — never after.
How much does root canal treatment cost?
We quote before we treat, at medical aid rates. Root canal treatment is quoted tooth by tooth — front and back teeth differ — and your quote includes the crown if one’s needed, so you see the full picture before anything starts.
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