Endodontic Therapy in East Finchley: Saving Your Natural Teeth

You may need endodontic therapy if you have symptoms that point to nerve damage or infection inside your tooth. Seek an assessment if you notice a severe toothache, especially when you chew or press on the tooth. Prolonged sensitivity to hot or cold temperatures that lingers after the stimulus is gone is another sign. Look for darkening or discoloration of the tooth, tender or swollen gums, or a persistent pimple‑like bump near the tooth root. We offer same‑day appointments during our office hours for urgent cases like these for patients across East Finchley and North London.

Understanding the treatment can help ease anxiety. You will have a 60 minute consultation with Dr. Ashok Reddy, who holds an MSc in Endodontics. He will use digital imaging and a 3D CBCT scan to diagnose the issue precisely. The procedure, performed under local anaesthetic so you feel no pain, typically lasts 60 to 90 minutes. Dr. Reddy uses a dental operating microscope to carefully remove infected pulp from the root canals and seal them to prevent reinfection. After healing, you return to your general dentist to have a permanent crown fitted to protect the tooth. With proper care, a tooth treated with endodontic therapy can last a lifetime, with success rates between 85 and 95 percent.

Post treatment care is straightforward. For the first one to three days you may feel mild tenderness or discomfort, which you can manage with over the counter pain relief like ibuprofen. Stick to soft foods and avoid chewing directly on the treated tooth until the permanent crown is placed. You can brush and floss as usual, but be gentle around the area. A recent patient from East Finchley who had a molar treated was back at work the next day, managing the tenderness easily. Most people recover quickly and find the experience less uncomfortable than expected. Red flags call during office hours (Mon/Wed/Fri 9-5, Tue/Thu 11-7): contact us right away if you have severe pain that does not ease with medicine, noticeable swelling inside or outside your mouth, an allergic reaction to medication, or if your temporary filling comes out. For emergencies outside these hours, please visit A&E or call 111.

Our aim is to save the natural tooth, but there are alternatives. The main option is tooth extraction, which removes the entire tooth and can be quicker initially. However, this creates a gap that may cause nearby teeth to shift and often requires a long term solution such as a dental implant or a bridge to restore function and prevent bone loss. For a patient referred from Muswell Hill with a failing previous root canal, we discussed retreatment and extraction. They chose retreatment to preserve the natural tooth, which was completed in a single visit. In some minor cases, watchful waiting might be an option, but it carries the risk of infection worsening and forming an abscess.

We provide a transparent cost breakdown before treatment begins. The fee depends on the case complexity and which tooth is affected, with molars being more complex. Treatment typically starts from £750 and covers the consultation, all necessary diagnostic 3D scans and x rays, and the root canal procedure itself. The final crown placed by your general dentist is priced separately. We accept several private insurance plans, including Denplan, Cigna, and Max Bupa. Our team will help you understand your coverage and avoid hidden fees.

To make an informed choice about your care, here are important questions to ask any provider in the East Finchley area. Do you use a dental microscope for all root canal procedures? What is your success rate for this treatment? Is the quoted fee for the root canal only or does it include the final restoration? What are the risks if I delay this treatment? What postgraduate training in endodontics do you have? Will the procedure be completed in a single visit or require multiple appointments?