“Does a root canal require anesthesia?”

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Dentist | Dentist Anesthesiologist Questions Root Canal

“Does a root canal require anesthesia?”

I need to have a root canal, but I'm a little nervous for the pain with the procedure. Are root canals treated with anesthesia?

26 Answers

Can general anesthesia be used for ear surgery?

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**Frederick Roy Bonds** Dentist Mount Pleasant, MI · Accepted Answer

Frederick Roy Bonds Dentist Mount Pleasant, MI

Yes, to be sure you are comfortable during the procedure. Under most conditions, root canal treatment is painless and quite honestly boring for the patient.

**Dr. Juan J. Solano** Dentist Lilburn, GA · Accepted Answer

Dr. Juan J. Solano Dentist Lilburn, GA

Has to be performed under anesthesia. Local anesthesia is just fine.

**Dr. Barbara A. Tarnoski** Dentist | General Practice Drexel HIll, PA · Accepted Answer

Dr. Barbara A. Tarnoski Dentist | General Practice Drexel HIll, PA

You will be given a local anesthetic, so you should not have any pain. Your doctor will give you a signal like raising your hand if you are having any pain.

**Dr. Steven M. Parrett** Dentist Chambersburg, PA · Accepted Answer

Dr. Steven M. Parrett Dentist Chambersburg, PA

If the nerve is dead, you may not even need anesthesia and you won't feel pain. I would recommend that you get it just in case, but they are overblown as far as pain is involved. Sometimes they are easier than getting a filling done, pain-wise.

**Dr. Mariamawet D. Ambachew** Dentist Fayetteville, North Carolina · Accepted Answer

Dr. Mariamawet D. Ambachew Dentist Fayetteville, North Carolina

YES!

**Dr. Steven R. Hagerman** Dentist Saint Paul, MN · Accepted Answer

Dr. Steven R. Hagerman Dentist Saint Paul, MN

Yes, generally just local anesthesia works fine. I will usually use a combination of two local anesthetics one that works fast and one that lasts longer so by the time the second wears off the tenderness from the procedure isn't bad. Most root canal procedures are able to be done in one appointment with little post operative discomfort.

**Dr. Kara Mason** Dentist New York, NY · Accepted Answer

Dr. Kara Mason Dentist New York, NY

Yes a root canal requires local anesthesia.

**Mr. Yakov Gertsberg** Dentist Brooklyn, NY · Accepted Answer

Mr. Yakov Gertsberg Dentist Brooklyn, NY

Yes, of course the root canal therapy is a procedure usually done with local anesthesia.

**Dr. Jeff Yenzer** Dentist Chesterfield, MO · Accepted Answer

Dr. Jeff Yenzer Dentist Chesterfield, MO

Yes it always does

**Dr. Larry Robert Adams** Dentist Lacey, WA · Accepted Answer

Dr. Larry Robert Adams Dentist Lacey, WA

Yes

**John Montoya** Dentist Boulder, CO · Accepted Answer

John Montoya Dentist Boulder, CO

Yes. Wouldn’t recommend it without getting numb.

**Ronald Kurlan** Dentist Livingston, NJ · Accepted Answer

Ronald Kurlan Dentist Livingston, NJ

It is usually best to have local anesthesia for a root canal so that it can be a painless procedure.

**Dr. Ronald Allan Hawkins** Dentist Lubbock, TX · Accepted Answer

Dr. Ronald Allan Hawkins Dentist Lubbock, TX

Yes, all root canal procedures are done under local anesthesia. Endo/root canal treatment is very predictable and in almost all cases is pretty much painless.
Good luck.

**Dr. Bin V. Hoang** Dentist San Clemente, California · Accepted Answer

Dr. Bin V. Hoang Dentist San Clemente, California

Yes, to make you comfortable, anesthesia is used.

**Dr. Frederick Faustini** Dentistry Croton Falls, NY · Accepted Answer

Dr. Frederick Faustini Dentistry Croton Falls, NY

Yes, root canal treatment requires local anesthesia such as lidocaine to numb the tooth

**Shashi R. Ghodake** Dentist Middletown, Connecticut · Accepted Answer

Shashi R. Ghodake Dentist Middletown, Connecticut

Yes. You will be given local anesthesia for root canal treatment. You should absolutely have no pain during the procedure.

**Soheir S. Azer** Dentist Downey, CA · Accepted Answer

Soheir S. Azer Dentist Downey, CA

Hi there, yes of course.
Root canal today is very comfortable and fast way different than the old days.
Thank you

**Roger Gupta** Dentist Flushing, New York · Accepted Answer

Roger Gupta Dentist Flushing, New York

If the tooth is non-vital you don't need anesthesia, but for vital tooth you need.

**Alex Kaykin** Dentist Scarborough, Ontario · Accepted Answer

Alex Kaykin Dentist Scarborough, Ontario

Absolutely.

**Dr. William P. Smith** Dentist Sedona, Arizona · Accepted Answer

Dr. William P. Smith Dentist Sedona, Arizona

Yes. Local anesthesia is used before root canal treatment is started. Please call your dentist to discuss your concerns. Sometimes a sedative is an option.

**daniel slavsky** Dentist Mansfield, MA · Accepted Answer

daniel slavsky Dentist Mansfield, MA

We do root canals with novocaine. Some people like to get put to sleep. It depends on the case and if the patient would be comfortable with just novocaine.

**Dr. Jay H. Sher** Dentist Livingston, NJ · Accepted Answer

Root canal therapy is usually performed after the administration of local anesthesia. A topical anesthetic gel can be swabbed on the spot to receive the injection to make it a more comfortable procedure with often just a minor "pinch" felt. Once full, profound anesthesia is obtained, sit back, relax and bring some music on your phone with headphones and you should experience no pain!

**Dr. Fariba Aslemand** Dentist Rockville, Maryland · Accepted Answer

Dr. Fariba Aslemand Dentist Rockville, Maryland

Yes, for this procedure, you will receive local anesthesia, which makes the procedure painless. Your doctor will probably prescribe pain medication and antibiotic. The root canal treatments these days are much more comfortable and faster.
Good luck.

**Dr. Jaby K. Paul** Dentist NEW CITY, New York · Accepted Answer

Dr. Jaby K. Paul Dentist NEW CITY, New York

You would need local anesthesia (an injection near the tooth/within5-10cm of the tooth) in the area to make the tooth calm enough to work on, but you would not require general anesthesia (to be put to sleep). There are many options to help calm a patient down during treatment including laughing gas (nitrous oxide), valium, operatory lighting, etc.

**Dr. Frank Dentremont** Dentist Gulf Shores, Alabama · Accepted Answer

All root canal procedures are performed to remove the various biological components of the inside of a tooth: venule, arteriole, nerve, connective tissue, etc - all the things you learned in high school biology. As such, a local anesthetic - ie. "novacaine" - is practically mandatory. We have powerful local anesthetics that can successfully relieve or prevent any pain you may possibly experience during the root canal procedure. If a dentist doesn't offer anesthesia for a root canal procedure, decline the treatment.

**Dr. Don Bigelow** Dentist Salt Lake City, UT · Accepted Answer

Dr. Don Bigelow Dentist Salt Lake City, UT

Yes anesthesia is used in almost every root canal for patient comfort.

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