Root Canal Treatment for North Finchley Patients

You may be referred to a practice like ours, which is limited to endodontics, if you have persistent tooth pain that doesn't go away. Key signs include a severe, throbbing ache, especially when lying down, or extreme sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures that lingers for more than 30 seconds. Other indicators are a darkened or discoloured tooth, tender or swollen gums near a specific tooth, or a small, persistent pimple-like bump on your gum (a dental abscess). These symptoms suggest the nerve inside your tooth is infected or inflamed and requires expert attention to save the tooth from extraction.

Your treatment begins with a 60 minute consultation. During this visit we take a 3D CBCT scan to view your tooth’s root structure and confirm the diagnosis. The procedure usually lasts 60 to 90 minutes and is performed under local anaesthesia to keep you fully numb. Dr. Reddy then uses a dental operating microscope to clean and shape the infected root canals with precision. The canals are filled with a biocompatible material and sealed to prevent future infection. You are then referred back to your general dentist for a permanent crown.

A patient from North Finchley presented with persistent pain in a tooth treated years earlier. The 3D CBCT scan showed a missed canal causing reinfection. Using the high magnification of the dental microscope, Dr. Reddy located and treated this canal. The patient’s pain subsided within 48 hours, saving the tooth from extraction. This demonstrates how specialist equipment supports retreatments.

Another patient had a deep ache in a back molar. X-rays showed severely curved roots, making standard root canal work difficult and risky. Without the right tools, instruments can break or cleaning can be incomplete. We completed the treatment in one 90‑minute session, navigating the complex anatomy with precision. The patient kept their natural tooth, avoiding a more costly implant.

After your treatment you may experience mild to moderate tenderness for two to three days, easily managed with over-the-counter pain relief such as ibuprofen. Avoid chewing directly on the treated tooth until a permanent crown is placed by your dentist. You can brush and floss as usual, but be gentle near the area. The success rate for primary root canal treatment is high, between 85 and 95 percent. Red flags requiring immediate contact: call our practice during office hours if you have severe or increasing pain after day three, significant facial swelling, a fever above 38 C, or an allergic reaction to medication. For emergencies outside office hours, visit A and E or call 111.

The only alternative to treating an infected tooth is extraction. This removes the source of infection but creates a gap in your smile. A missing tooth can cause nearby teeth to shift, bite problems, and jawbone loss over time. Replacing the tooth with a dental implant or a bridge is possible but more invasive and costlier than saving your natural tooth. Our approach is to protect the natural dentition whenever clinically possible, so root canal treatment remains the preferred first option.

To help you make an informed choice about your care, whether with us or another practice in North London, consider these questions: Do you use a dental operating microscope and 3D CBCT scanning for all root canal treatments? What is your success rate with cases like mine? How many appointments will the treatment take? What are the full costs, including the consultation and any scans? Will I definitely need a crown afterwards, and is that cost separate? What postgraduate qualifications do you have in endodontics?