Emergency Root Canal in Henderson, NV
If a tooth is throbbing, waking you at night, or hurting long after something hot or cold, the nerve inside it is almost certainly involved. That is treatable, and it will not settle by itself.
Office hours: Monday to Thursday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. Two Fridays a month, 8:00am to 4:00pm.
Is this pain a nerve problem?
Nerve pain has a recognizable signature. If most of these sound familiar, that is what you are dealing with:
- Throbbing rather than sharp, and it has a pulse to it
- Worse lying down, which is why it wakes people at 2am
- Lingers after hot or cold, for thirty seconds or more, rather than stopping when the stimulus does
- Hard to point at. People often cannot say which tooth, or feel it in the ear or jaw
- Hurts to bite on that tooth
- Over-the-counter pain relief takes the edge off and does not remove it
Pain that is sharp and brief with cold, and stops immediately, is usually sensitivity or a shallow cavity rather than the nerve. Still worth an appointment, less urgent.
What if the pain stops on its own?
This is the part worth understanding, because it is where people go wrong.
Severe toothache that disappears over a day or two often means the nerve has died, not healed. The pain stops because the nerve stopped. The infection does not stop. It carries on into the bone at the root tip, and the next thing that happens is usually swelling.
If you have had severe pain that has now gone quiet, please still call.
What to do tonight
Pain relief as directed on the packet. Follow the stated dose.
Sleep propped up on an extra pillow. Blood pressure in the head increases when you lie flat, which is why nerve pain peaks at night.
Cold compress on the outside of the cheek, twenty minutes on, twenty off.
Avoid very hot or cold food and drink, and chewing on that side.
Do not put aspirin on the gum. It causes a chemical burn and does nothing for the pain.
Warm salt water rinse helps if the gum around the tooth is sore.
If swelling develops, particularly toward the eye or down into the neck, or you develop a fever or difficulty swallowing, that becomes a medical emergency. Go to an emergency room. See our emergency dentist page.
What happens at the appointment
The first priority is getting you out of pain.
The tooth is numbed thoroughly, which for a hot, infected tooth sometimes takes more anesthetic than usual. Tell us if you can still feel it. Nobody here wants you to be brave about this.
Dr. Sevy opens the tooth to relieve the pressure inside, which is often the moment the pain stops, and cleans the infected tissue from the canals. On a molar there can be more canals than a flat X-ray shows, which is why we use 3D imaging where the case warrants it. A missed canal is a common reason root canal treatment fails.
The tooth is then sealed, temporarily or permanently depending on the situation.
Most emergency cases are one visit for relief, then a follow-up to finish. See root canal therapy for the full process.
Does an emergency root canal hurt?
The reputation is out of date, and it comes from an era before modern anesthetic.
What actually hurts is the infected tooth you arrive with. The treatment is what stops it. Most patients say the appointment felt like having a filling, and that the relief afterward was immediate.
Expect the tooth to be tender to bite on for a few days while the surrounding tissue settles. That is normal and it responds to over-the-counter pain relief.
If anxiety is the barrier, say so when you call. Oral sedation is available.
Root canal or take the tooth out?
Extraction is faster and cheaper on the day. It is rarely cheaper over ten years.
Removing a tooth starts a chain. The bone where the root was begins to resorb, the neighboring teeth drift into the gap, and the opposing tooth drifts down. Replacing it later means an implant or a bridge, which costs more than the root canal would have.
Root canal treatment keeps your own tooth, and your own tooth in your own bone is still the best thing available.
There are teeth that genuinely cannot be saved, where the crack runs too deep or too little structure remains. Dr. Sevy will tell you plainly when that is the case rather than starting treatment that will not hold.
Will I need a crown afterward?
Usually, on a back tooth.
A tooth that has had root canal treatment is drier and more brittle than it was, and the access opening removes structure from the top. Molars take heavy biting force, and without a crown protecting it, a treated molar can fracture, sometimes beyond saving.
Front teeth with small access openings sometimes do not need one. We will tell you which applies.
How do people pay for it?
You will know what is involved before treatment starts.
Root canal treatment is functionally necessary rather than cosmetic, so dental insurance usually contributes, and our team will verify your plan. We also offer affordable payment options, including CareCredit, Proceed Finance and in-house payment plans.
Frequently asked questions
Can a root canal be done in one visit? Sometimes. An emergency appointment is usually about relief first, with the treatment completed at a follow-up.
Will antibiotics fix it? No. They can reduce an infection temporarily and they cannot reach inside the tooth, because the blood supply that carries them is exactly what has died. The canal has to be cleaned.
How long will the tooth last afterward? A properly treated and crowned tooth commonly lasts decades. Many last for life.
What if I wait? The infection spreads into the bone at the root tip. That usually means swelling, and it can mean losing a tooth that could have been saved.
Is it safe if I am pregnant? Yes, and untreated infection is the greater risk. Tell us you are pregnant and how far along, as it affects timing and imaging decisions.
Can I drive myself home? Yes, with local anesthetic only. If you have oral sedation, you will need someone to drive you.
Get seen
Nerve pain does not settle on its own and it gets more complicated the longer it is left. Call (702) 616-1942.
Augusta Dental, 1485 W Warm Springs Rd, Ste 101, Henderson, NV 89014.