Root Canal Treatment

Local anesthesia is used when needed, which helps reduce pain during treatment.
If the inflammation is severe, or once the anesthesia wears off, you may feel some temporary discomfort.

It depends on the type of tooth, the root canal anatomy and the extent of infection.
When the canals need to be cleaned and disinfected several times, the treatment period and the number of visits may increase.

For a few days after treatment the tooth may feel dull or uncomfortable when chewing.
If the pain keeps getting worse or the gums swell, have the tooth checked at the clinic.

Not every tooth requires one, but a tooth that has had root canal treatment has less remaining tooth structure and a higher risk of fracture.
A crown is often considered for molars, which take the most chewing force.

Root canal treatment itself is covered by National Health Insurance, so the co-payment is typically tens of thousands of won per visit.
Most of the estimate is for the prosthetic work done afterward, such as a crown, which is non-covered by law (source: Rules on Standards for Medical Care Benefits under the National Health Insurance Act, Annex 2).
Ask for the estimate to be split into covered items (root canal) and non-covered items (crown and core).

Extraction is not the automatic answer.
Stepwise options to save the tooth remain: root canal retreatment, apicoectomy to remove inflammation at the root tip, and intentional replantation.
Seoul Standard Dental Clinic assigns complex cases such as retreatment and apicoectomy to our board-certified endodontist, Dr. Song Je-i, Senior Dentist, and treats them collaboratively (confirmed by our director, Aug 2026).

There is no fixed lifespan.
The main reason such a tooth weakens is the amount of tooth structure removed, not the loss of the nerve itself. With a crown and regular checkups, teeth that last for decades are not unusual.
Because a tooth without a nerve may not hurt until a problem is advanced, regular X-ray checks are needed.