Do root canals really hurt as much as their reputation suggests?

No. Modern root canals are done under local anesthetic and most patients compare the experience to getting a filling, not to the outdated reputation the procedure still carries.

How long does a root canal take?

It typically takes one to two appointments depending on the tooth and how complex the case is, longer than a simple filling but still well within a normal visit length.

What if I'm too anxious to get a root canal without help?

Sedation options are available for anxious patients to help you stay relaxed and comfortable through the appointment. Mention it when you book and it can be arranged ahead of time.

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what a root canal actually feels like (debunking the fear)

By Dr. Aakash Rana, DDS · Updated September 2026 · 4 min read

Short answer: A modern root canal is done entirely under local anesthetic and feels similar to getting a deep filling, not the painful ordeal its old reputation still suggests to most people. The pain most people actually associate with root canals comes from the infected tooth itself before treatment starts, not from the treatment itself, and treatment is what actually resolves it.

"I'd rather just pull it than get a root canal" is something we hear fairly often from patients who've genuinely never actually had one done before in their life. The fear is almost always based entirely on an outdated reputation rather than the actual reality of the modern procedure itself, shaped more by old stories passed around than by anything that actually happens in the chair today. Here's a plain, honest walk-through of what genuinely happens in the chair, step by step, from the moment you sit down until you walk back out.

Why root canals got such a bad reputation

The pain people associate with root canals almost always actually comes from the infected or inflamed tooth itself before any treatment even happens — deep, throbbing pain, sharp sensitivity to pressure, and sometimes visible swelling around the affected area. The procedure itself is genuinely what relieves that pain, not what causes it in the first place, but the negative association unfortunately stuck around for decades anyway regardless of how the actual treatment has improved since then. Older techniques and equipment from decades ago genuinely earned some of that reputation at the time, which is worth remembering when the topic comes up in conversation and the old jokes start flying.

Getting numb comes first, and it works

Local anesthetic is applied to fully numb the tooth and the surrounding tissue before anything else even begins, the exact same way it would be for a completely routine filling appointment. Once you're properly and fully numb, you shouldn't feel any sharp pain at all during the procedure itself — you may feel some pressure or a bit of vibration, yes, but genuinely not pain in the way most people tend to expect going in beforehand. If anything still feels off once you're numb, just say so and it gets addressed before continuing further, since your comfort genuinely matters throughout.

What actually happens during the procedure

A small opening is made carefully in the top of the tooth to access the inner chamber, the infected or inflamed tissue is then carefully removed from inside, the empty space is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected, and then it's sealed up completely. From the patient's side of the experience, most of this simply feels like an extended filling appointment — you're reclined, fully numb, and it just takes a bit longer overall from start to finish than a simple filling normally would take to complete, though the difference is usually just a matter of minutes rather than anything dramatic, especially once you've already settled into the chair, gotten numb, and the actual work is underway.

Sedation is available if you're still anxious

If dental anxiety is genuinely part of what's been holding you back from booking an appointment, Prana offers sedation options specifically to help you stay relaxed and comfortable throughout the entire visit from start to finish. There's genuinely no real reason to white-knuckle through a procedure you feel nervous about when that kind of option is readily available and easy to arrange ahead of your visit with the team beforehand, and plenty of patients take advantage of it without any judgment from anyone on the team.

What recovery actually feels like

Mild soreness for a day or two afterward, similar to what you'd generally feel following a routine filling, is completely normal and easily manageable with standard over-the-counter pain relief you likely already have at home. Most patients are back to their normal daily activities the very same day, and the treated tooth typically receives a protective crown shortly afterward to finish the whole job properly and for good, restoring full chewing function to that tooth for many years to come without any further issue at all.

The bottom line on the fear

The very procedure that scares people the most is, in reality, the actual fix for the pain that scared them into the dental chair in the first place to begin with. If a nagging, persistent toothache is genuinely what's holding you back from booking, that's actually the strongest possible argument for a free exam sooner rather than later — root canals at Prana start from just $899, with sedation available if you'd like it and financing if you need it for the total cost, so cost genuinely doesn't have to be the thing that keeps you waiting either, and neither does fear once you actually know what's involved from start to finish.