Emergency dental treatments

Emergency root canal treatment: what happens and what it costs

When the nerve inside a tooth is dying, the only treatments that stop the pain are removing the nerve or removing the tooth. This is how we do the first, and keep the tooth.

See today’s emergency slots Call 0114 288 2121

Clinically reviewed by Dr Ibraheem Ijaz, Principal Dentist · GDC 301711 · Last reviewed April 2026

Why a root canal is the emergency treatment for toothache

Inside every tooth is a soft core of nerve and blood vessels, the pulp, sealed in a chamber of hard dentine with no room to swell. When bacteria reach it through deep decay, a crack or a leaking filling, the pulp becomes inflamed. In any other part of the body swelling has somewhere to go; here it cannot, so pressure builds on the nerve. That is the throbbing, keep-you-awake pain of irreversible pulpitis. Painkillers blunt it, antibiotics do nothing to it, and it does not get better on its own.

Root canal treatment removes the inflamed or dead pulp, cleans and disinfects the space it lived in, and seals it. The tooth stays, the pain goes. In an emergency we usually split the treatment into two stages: the first removes the pulp and stops the pain, the second, a week or two later, finishes the shaping and filling of the canals. The first stage on its own has its own page, the pulpectomy. This page covers the whole treatment, start to finish.

Signs the nerve cannot recover

Not every painful tooth needs a root canal. A nerve that is irritated but alive can settle with a filling. The dividing line is whether the inflammation is reversible, and the pattern of your pain is the best clue.

Pain from hot or cold that lingers for more than ten to thirty seconds after the trigger has gone.
Pain that arrives on its own, with nothing touching the tooth, especially at night or when you lie down.
A dull, deep throb that spreads to the ear, jaw or temple so that you cannot point to one tooth.
Tenderness when you tap the tooth or bite on it, which means inflammation has reached the bone around the root.
A tooth that has gone grey, or a small gum boil next to it that comes and goes.

At the £30 emergency examination we confirm this with a cold test and an X-ray. If the tooth reacts to cold with lingering pain, or does not react at all and the X-ray shows a dark shadow at the root tip, the pulp cannot be saved. The choice then is root canal or extraction. We recommend root canal when the tooth has enough sound structure left to be worth keeping and the roots are treatable.

Emergency root canal step by step

Local anaesthetic.

Numbing gel on the gum, then an injection. For a badly inflamed lower molar we sometimes need a second injection directly around the tooth, because inflamed tissue is more acidic and resists anaesthetic. We do not start until you cannot feel cold on the tooth.

Rubber dam.

A thin sheet of latex-free rubber is stretched over the tooth so it stands alone, dry and isolated from saliva. It keeps bacteria and the disinfecting solutions where they belong, and most patients find it makes the treatment more relaxing because nothing goes in the throat.

Access.

A small opening is drilled through the top of the tooth into the pulp chamber. Once the chamber is open, the pressure is released and the throbbing usually stops within minutes.

Cleaning the canals.

Each root has one or more canals, some finer than a human hair. Nik, our associate dentist with a postgraduate certificate in endodontics, works under a dental microscope so that every canal can be found and followed to its tip. Flexible files widen the canals while sodium hypochlorite, a dilute bleach, dissolves the dead tissue and kills bacteria. Front teeth have one canal; molars typically have three or four.

Dressing and temporary seal (stage one).

A calcium hydroxide paste is placed in the canals to keep disinfecting them, and the opening is sealed with a firm temporary filling. This first visit takes 45 to 60 minutes.

Filling the canals (stage two).

One to three weeks later, once the tooth is quiet, the dressing is washed out and the canals are filled with gutta-percha, a rubber-like material, and sealed. Another 45 to 60 minutes.

Restoring the tooth.

A permanent filling goes in the access hole. Back teeth almost always need a crown afterwards, because a root-treated tooth is dry and more brittle.

Root canal fees at Deepcar

Molars cost more than front teeth because they have more canals and take longer. You are given the exact figure in writing before we start, and 0% finance over 6 to 18 months is available through Tabeo, subject to status. See the emergency fees page for the full list.

Treatment	Fee (from)
Emergency examination including X-rays	£30
Emergency root canal, stage one (pulp removal and dressing)	from £200
Complete root canal treatment	from £450
Re-root canal of a previously treated tooth	Price on request
All-ceramic crown to protect the tooth afterwards	£750–£1,000
Out-of-hours (after 6pm weekdays, weekends)	Additional charge

The first week after emergency root canal

The first 24 hours. The anaesthetic wears off after two to three hours; do not chew until it has. Expect the tooth to feel bruised when you bite, because the tissues around the root tip are still inflamed. Ibuprofen and paracetamol, taken as directed on the packet, control this well; taking them before the anaesthetic wears off works better than waiting for the ache. Eat soft food on the other side. Do not smoke: it slows healing of the bone around the root.

Days two to seven. Tenderness to biting should ease day by day. Keep chewing on the other side, because the temporary filling can crack under full force and a tooth with an open access hole can fracture. Brush and floss normally. Call us if pain gets worse rather than better after 48 hours, if the temporary filling comes out, or if any swelling appears; a small proportion of teeth flare up between visits and need the dressing changed, which is quick.

Finishing the root canal and protecting the tooth

Stopping after stage one is a common mistake. The pain has gone, the temporary filling looks fine, and the second visit slips. But a temporary seal leaks within weeks, bacteria re-enter the canals and the abscess quietly returns, often bigger. We book stage two before you leave the first appointment.

Once the canals are filled, a back tooth needs a crown to stop it splitting; a front tooth can often manage with a filling. Our root canal treatment page describes the full course, including what the microscope adds.

Risks and honest limits

Root canal treatment done well saves most teeth for many years, but it is not guaranteed. Canals can be curved, blocked by calcification or too fine to find, and a tooth with a crack running into the root will fail whatever we do. A file can occasionally break inside a canal; it is not dangerous and is usually bypassed or left in place. If the tooth is very broken down, extraction and later an implant may be the better use of your money. We will say which we recommend and why; the decision is yours.

Questions, answered

Common questions

Does an emergency root canal hurt?

The treatment itself is done under local anaesthetic and should not hurt. A very inflamed tooth can be harder to numb, which is why we test before starting and top up if needed. Afterwards the tooth feels bruised for a few days.

How much does an emergency root canal cost in Sheffield?

At Deepcar Dental Care the emergency first stage is from £200 and the complete root canal from £450, depending on the tooth. The £30 examination is separate. A crown afterwards is £750 to £1,000.

Can a root canal be done in one visit?

Sometimes, on a tooth that is not infected and has simple canals. In an emergency with an abscess or a very inflamed nerve, two visits give a better result, because the dressing between them keeps disinfecting the canals.

Will antibiotics fix the tooth instead?

No. Antibiotics cannot reach a dead nerve, because there is no blood supply to carry them there. They are only used alongside treatment when infection is spreading into the face or you are unwell.

Is it better to have the tooth out?

Keeping your own tooth is usually the better long-term option when it has enough structure to restore. Extraction is quicker and cheaper on the day, but replacing the tooth later with an implant or bridge costs more than the root canal would have.

How long does a root-treated tooth last?

With a good seal and a crown, many last a lifetime. The main reasons for failure are a leaking filling, a missed canal or a crack. Regular check-ups catch problems early.

Related guides

Same-day emergency appointments, seven days a week.

£30 emergency examination including X-rays. Call now and a real person answers, or grab a slot online.

Call 0114 288 2121 See today’s emergency slots

5.0 on Google from 400+ reviews

334 Manchester Road, Deepcar, Sheffield S36 2RH · Free parking