Root canal treatment

Root canal treatment removes the inflamed or dead nerve, cleans and seals the root canals, and is the only way to keep a tooth that would otherwise be extracted. At Laurus Dent plus it costs 120–320 EUR depending on the number of canals, with both visits included. Same-day appointments for acute pain, treatment in English. Book: +371 22428688.

When a root canal is needed

A root canal is needed when infection from a cavity, or a trauma, has reached the nerve of the tooth (the pulp). Seven signs that it has:

1. throbbing pain that gets worse at night or lying down;
2. lingering pain after hot food or drink (cold sometimes relieves it);
3. pain when biting or pressing on the tooth;
4. swelling of the gum or cheek next to the tooth;
5. the tooth has darkened compared with its neighbours;
6. a pimple on the gum that discharges pus (a fistula);
7. the tooth hurt badly for days and then "went away" – the nerve has died and the infection remains.

If it hurts now, call us and we will offer the earliest available slot.

How root canal treatment works

Standard treatment takes two visits, both included in the price.

Visit 1 (60–90 minutes)

1. X-ray – shows the number and length of the canals and the extent of infection at the root tip.
2. Anaesthesia – the tooth does not hurt during the procedure.
3. A rubber sheet (dental dam) isolates the tooth so saliva and bacteria stay out of the canal.
4. The tooth is opened and the inflamed or dead pulp removed.
5. Each canal is measured electronically, shaped, and flushed with disinfecting solutions.
6. Medication is placed in the canals and the tooth is closed with a temporary filling.

Visit 2, one to two weeks later (45–60 minutes)

1. We check the tooth is pain-free and the inflammation is settling.
2. The canals are flushed again, dried, and sealed with gutta-percha.
3. A control X-ray confirms the filling reaches the root tip.
4. The tooth is closed with a permanent filling or prepared for a crown.

Root canal or extraction?

If the tooth can be saved, treatment is almost always the better deal. Root canal plus filling costs 210–450 EUR; if the tooth needs a crown, add 370–600 EUR. Extraction costs 80–140 EUR, but the gap then needs an implant with a crown (750 + 850 EUR) or a bridge, otherwise neighbouring teeth drift and bone shrinks. Your own tooth with treated canals lasts decades. Extraction is the right call when the root is split lengthwise, the tooth is very loose from gum disease, or bone loss is too advanced – the X-ray shows it, and the dentist will tell you straight.

Pus under the root: when a root canal cannot wait

When infection travels from the nerve to the tip of the root, an abscess forms. Signs: throbbing pain, pain on biting, a swollen gum or cheek, sometimes fever or a pimple on the gum that leaks fluid. It does not clear on its own; antibiotics only quieten it. The fix is root canal treatment, which removes the source, or extraction if the tooth cannot be saved. Call the same day and we offer the earliest available slot.

Cleaning, disinfecting and filling the canals

The treatment has three steps: mechanical cleaning of the canals with flexible instruments, disinfection with antiseptic solutions, and dense filling with gutta-percha to the tip of the root. Canal length is measured electronically and checked on an X-ray, so the filling is neither short nor long. Between visits the tooth is sealed with a temporary filling; after the last visit it needs a permanent filling or a crown (from 190 EUR).

Why have your root canal at Laurus Dent plus

• The price is known before we start: 120–320 EUR per tooth depending on the number of canals, two visits included, the same as the price list.
• We keep the tooth whenever possible: a root canal is cheaper and faster than extraction plus an implant (750 EUR + crown 850 EUR).
• The filling or crown that protects the tooth afterwards is done in the same clinic.
• We treat in English, Latvian, Russian and Ukrainian.
• Central Riga, Lastādijas iela 12-k-1, 10 minutes from the Old Town, with parking. Visitors: two visits a few days apart fit into one trip.

Aftercare

The tooth may be tender to bite on for 2–3 days; this is normal and a standard painkiller helps. Do not chew on the treated tooth while it has a temporary filling: a tooth without a nerve is more brittle. For back teeth we usually recommend a crown after root canal treatment to protect against cracking. If swelling or pain increases after day three, call us.

See also: pulpitis treatment · cavity treatment · all prices.