Root Canal Treatment

Overview

Root canal treatment (endodontic therapy) removes infected or inflamed tissue from inside a tooth, cleans and seals the canal, and preserves the natural tooth instead of extracting it. It is typically considered when decay or a crack has reached the tooth's nerve. Treatment at Somosot Dental is commonly completed over two or more appointments.

Who may benefit

• A tooth with deep decay reaching the nerve
• Persistent tooth pain, especially with hot or cold sensitivity that lingers
• A cracked or injured tooth that's become infected

When it may not be suitable

• The tooth cannot be restored afterwards. If too little sound tooth structure remains, extraction and a replacement may be the better plan.
• The case is complex enough to need specialist care. Complex cases may be referred to an endodontist or another suitable specialist rather than treated here.
• A different treatment fits the finding. The examination decides between pulp treatment, root canal treatment, extraction and other options — that is what the appointment is for.

Examination and records normally required

• An examination of the tooth and the tissue around it
• The required X-rays — a periapical X-ray is ₱500
• Your medical history and any medicines you take

How Somosot Dental approaches this

• The tooth is examined and X-rayed before anything is quoted, because the number of canals and their anatomy is most of what decides both the fee and the number of visits.
• Treatment is commonly staged over two or more appointments rather than compressed into one. Selected cases may be completed differently when that is clinically appropriate.
• The clinic is explicit about referring complex cases out rather than treating everything in-house by default.

Treatment stages

Important limitations and risks

• A temporary filling is not the final restoration, and the tooth is not finished until the permanent one is placed.
• Mild tenderness afterwards is common. Severe pain, swelling or worsening symptoms are not, and should be reported.
• Local anesthesia controls discomfort during treatment, but the experience varies — a severely inflamed or infected tooth can be harder to numb.
• Root canal treatment is not a guarantee that a tooth is saved permanently. Back teeth in particular are more likely to fracture without cuspal coverage.
• The published prices do not include the final restoration.

What affects how long it takes

• The tooth itself, and how many canals it has
• The anatomy of those canals, including calcification
• Whether infection is present
• Your symptoms and how the tooth responds to treatment
• Whether the tooth has been root-treated before

What affects the price

• Which tooth it is — anterior ₱4,500, premolar ₱8,000, molar ₱15,000.
• The final restoration, charged separately. A zirconia crown is ₱20,000.
• Complexity found at examination: canal number and anatomy, calcification, infection, previous treatment, and the condition of the tooth.
• X-rays taken to diagnose and to check progress.

Aftercare

• Mild tenderness after treatment may occur and should gradually improve
• Take only the medication recommended or prescribed by the dentist
• Avoid chewing hard food on the treated tooth until the permanent restoration or crown has been completed
• A temporary filling is not intended to serve as the final restoration
• Return for the next appointment and final restoration as scheduled, even if the tooth no longer hurts
• Contact the clinic if pain or swelling becomes severe, symptoms worsen, the temporary filling comes out, or the tooth feels unusually high when biting

When to contact the clinic without waiting

• Pain or swelling that becomes severe
• Symptoms that are getting worse rather than settling
• The temporary filling coming out
• The tooth feeling unusually high when you bite

Frequently asked questions