Root canal therapy has long carried an unfair reputation. With microscope-assisted rotary endodontics, the procedure today is comparable to a routine filling — and almost always relieves pain rather than causing it.
1. Lingering tooth pain
Pain that throbs after eating, that wakes you at night, or that radiates to the jaw or ear is a classic sign the pulp inside your tooth is inflamed or infected.
2. Heat sensitivity that lingers
A momentary cold zing is normal. But if hot tea or coffee causes pain that lasts more than 30 seconds, the nerve is likely irreversibly involved.
3. Discolouration
A single tooth that has darkened to grey, brown or yellow — especially after a knock — usually indicates the pulp is dying.
4. A small bump on the gum
Recurring 'pimples' on the gum near a tooth are draining sinuses from a hidden infection at the root tip.
5. A cracked or deeply decayed tooth
Once decay or a fracture reaches the nerve chamber, only endodontic treatment can save the tooth from extraction.
What modern RCT feels like
Most cases are now completed in a single 60–90 minute visit under local anaesthesia. Patients regularly report being surprised at how comfortable it was — and how quickly the pain disappeared.