Root Canal Treatment in East Finchley | Saving Natural Teeth

You should seek a consultation at our Finchley practice if you have symptoms that point to an infection inside the tooth. These include a severe, throbbing toothache that worsens when you lie down, and pain that lasts more than 30 seconds after contact with hot or cold food or drink. Other signs are a darkened tooth, tenderness when touching or eating, and swelling in the nearby gums, sometimes with a small persistent bump like an abscess. This treatment helps save your natural tooth and avoid the downsides of extraction and replacement.

The process is straightforward and focused on comfort. You will have a 60 minute consultation with digital X rays and possibly a 3D CBCT scan to map the root structure. The main appointment lasts 60 to 90 minutes. Dr. Reddy will numb the area with local anaesthetic. He uses a dental operating microscope to clean and shape the infected canals. The canals are filled with a biocompatible material and sealed. You will need to return to your general dentist for a permanent crown a few weeks later to protect the tooth.

After treatment you may have tenderness for 2 to 3 days as the anaesthetic wears off and the area heals. This is usually managed with over the counter pain relief. Eat soft foods and avoid chewing on the treated tooth until you receive the final crown. You can brush and floss normally but be gentle around the area. Red flags call during office hours (Mon/Wed/Fri 9-5, Tue/Thu 11-7): Contact our practice immediately if you have severe or increasing pain after day 3, visible swelling inside or outside your mouth, an allergic reaction to medication, or if your temporary filling comes out.

The only direct alternative to root canal treatment is tooth extraction. While sometimes necessary if the tooth is too damaged to save, we always aim to preserve natural teeth where possible. An extraction will leave a gap that requires a replacement like a dental implant or bridge to restore function and prevent other teeth from shifting. These replacement options are typically more invasive and costly than saving the tooth. For example, a single dental implant at our practice starts from £2,500, not including the final crown. Root canal treatment, with a success rate of 85 to 95 percent, is often the most conservative and effective long term solution.

To choose what's right for you, here are essential questions to ask any dentist about root canal treatment, whether at our practice in East Finchley or another in London: Do you use a dental operating microscope for all root canal procedures? What is your success rate with this type of treatment? Does the quoted fee include all necessary X rays and scans? Will I need a crown after the treatment, and is that a separate cost? What are the signs that the treatment might have failed, and what happens then?

As a fully private practice, we do not offer NHS services. The cost of root canal treatment depends on the complexity of the case, such as which tooth is affected (molars have more canals and are more difficult). Following your initial consultation and diagnostic scans, we will provide a detailed treatment plan with a full, transparent breakdown of costs. There are no hidden fees. We accept several private dental insurance plans, including Max Bupa, Denplan, and Cigna. Please bring your insurance details to your appointment so we can help you understand your coverage.

A recent patient from East Finchley had a complex upper molar with four canals, one of which was calcified. Using the dental microscope, Dr. Reddy was able to locate and treat all canals successfully in a single 90-minute visit. Another patient from Highgate required retreatment of a failed root canal from another practice. A 3D CBCT scan revealed a missed canal, which was then cleaned and sealed, saving the tooth from extraction. These cases show the importance of specialist equipment and experience.