Root canal only

the tooth is saved

Crown only

a cap over the tooth

Both

the usual road for a back tooth

The look and the X-ray

Visit 1 · about an hour

An exam and an X-ray of the tooth. If it hurts, numbing happens here and the pain stops. This is where you hear whether the tooth can be saved and get the full plan.

Cleaning the root

Root canal day · 1 to 2 hours

Numb the whole time. The nerve is removed, the inside of the root is cleaned and sealed, and a temporary filling closes the tooth. Back teeth take longer than front teeth. Sometimes a second visit finishes it.

Tender, then fine

The days after

A few days of tenderness when you bite. Chew on the other side. If it gets worse instead of better, call the office, that is rare and fixable.

Shaped, and a temporary on

Crown visit 1 · about an hour

The tooth is shaped all round, a scan or mold is taken, and a temporary crown goes on. The real crown is made in a lab over two to three weeks. Some offices mill it the same day.

The crown is fitted

Crown visit 2 · the good day

The temporary comes off, the crown is checked for fit and color, the bite is adjusted, and it is cemented. You eat normally the same day.

Like any tooth

After · for keeps

Brush and floss it like the rest. A crown lasts 10 to 15 years, often longer. A yearly check and X-ray keeps an eye on the root.