Saving an infected tooth
Root Canal Treatment in Turkey
Root canal treatment removes infection from inside a tooth, then cleans, fills and seals it so you can keep the tooth. Without it, an infected tooth may need to come out. However, the treatment often takes two or more visits, so a dentist confirms your plan and timing only after examining you in person.
At a glance
- What it treats
- Infected or inflamed pulp inside a tooth
- Anaesthetic
- Usually a local anaesthetic, so you stay awake
- Visits
- Often 2 or more, each about 1 to 2 hours
- Pain one week later
- About 11% of people on average, mostly mild
- Tooth survival in one review
- 86% to 93% over 2 to 10 years
- Often needed afterwards
- A crown or a strong filling to protect the tooth
These figures come from research reviews rather than from any one clinic. Your dentist confirms your plan after an in-person examination.
How root canal treatment works
Inside each tooth sits the pulp, a soft core that holds the nerve and blood supply. Decay, gum disease, a crack or an injury can let bacteria reach it. As a result, the pulp can become inflamed beyond repair or die, and an abscess may form.
Root canal treatment removes the damaged pulp and cleans the narrow canals inside the roots. Then your dentist fills and seals them. Finally, a filling or crown closes the tooth, so bacteria cannot easily get back in.
First, though, your dentist examines the tooth and takes X-rays. In selected cases, they may also suggest a 3D scan called cone beam CT. Some people see a root canal specialist, called an endodontist.
- 1
Cleaning and shaping
After a local anaesthetic, your dentist makes a small opening in the tooth. Next, they remove the pulp, drain any abscess, and clean and shape each canal. A Cochrane review treats a rubber dam, a thin sheet that keeps saliva out, as standard care.
- 2
Filling the canals
Once the canals are clean, your dentist fills them with a rubbery material called gutta-percha and seals them. If the tooth needs more time to settle, a temporary filling closes it until the next visit.
- 3
Sealing the top of the tooth
Finally, a permanent filling or a crown protects the tooth. This step matters. In one review, a good seal on top raised the chance of healing as much as a good root filling did.
When root canal treatment is needed
Only an examination and X-rays can show whether a tooth can be saved. So treat these points as a guide rather than a diagnosis.
Root canal treatment may be advised if
Another option may be better if
Root canal treatment or extraction?
Keeping your own tooth is often worth trying first. However, each option has a place, and direct comparisons are rare. So use this table as a starting point for a talk with your dentist.
Your root canal treatment journey
Root canal treatment often takes two or more visits. Between them, a temporary filling protects the tooth. Your dentist will confirm how many days you need in Istanbul and what happens once you are home.
- 1Online
Remote review
First, you send photos, any recent X-rays and a note of your symptoms. Then a dentist explains whether saving the tooth looks possible.
- 2Visit 1
Examination and X-rays
When you arrive, your dentist examines the tooth and takes X-rays. Next, you agree on the plan, including how the tooth will be protected afterwards.
- 3Visit 1
Cleaning the root canals
After the local anaesthetic, your dentist opens the tooth, removes the pulp, and cleans and shapes the canals. Treatment itself should feel much like having a filling.
- 4Between visits
A temporary seal
If the tooth needs more time, your dentist places a temporary filling. It keeps bacteria out, but it is more fragile than a permanent one, so chew on the other side.
- 5Visit 2
Root filling and restoration
Once the tooth feels comfortable, your dentist fills and seals the canals if they have not already. Then a permanent filling or a crown closes the tooth.
- 6At home
Follow-up check
Afterwards, go to any follow-up visits and regular check-ups. Studies judge healing on X-rays taken at least a year later, so a dentist near home can compare them with your records.
Living with a root-filled tooth
Pain after root canal treatment
Numbness can last a few hours. After that, the tooth may feel tender or sore, but this should ease within a couple of weeks. Paracetamol or ibuprofen can help.
Caring for a temporary filling
Avoid chewing on that side for a few hours. Also avoid hard, sticky or chewy food, and slide floss out gently. If the temporary filling comes out, contact your dentist as soon as possible.
A crown after root canal treatment
A root-filled tooth can become brittle and more likely to break. For this reason, your dentist may suggest a crown. In one review, a crown was the strongest factor linked to keeping the tooth.
Daily cleaning and check-ups
A root-filled tooth can still decay. So brush twice a day, clean between your teeth and keep up regular check-ups.
Risks and success of root canal treatment
Most root-filled teeth last. For example, one review found that 86% to 93% of teeth survived over 2 to 10 years after root canal treatment. Similarly, a 2024 review of back teeth found 91% survival at 4 to 7 years and 87% at 8 to 20 years.
Full healing on X-rays is a stricter test, though. On that measure, older studies found success in 68% to 85% of teeth. In other words, a tooth can stay in use even when a small sign of infection remains.
Pain often drops quickly. On average, about 40% of people had some pain a day after treatment, and about 11% a week later. Also, many patients needed an extra anaesthetic injection during treatment.
Swelling or a flare-up can happen after either one or several visits. If you have severe pain, swelling or signs of infection, seek urgent dental care.
Without a living nerve, a tooth can become brittle. Therefore, a crown or strong filling on top often protects it. In one study, teeth without a crown were lost six times as often.
Sometimes infection persists or returns. In that case, your dentist may suggest retreatment, which means redoing the root canal treatment, or apical surgery instead.
Here, a dentist treats the tip of the root through the gum and seals it. One review found success in 78% to 91% of teeth. However, it found no clear winner between surgery and retreatment.
Even after good treatment, some teeth still need to come out. Then an implant or a bridge can replace the tooth.
What your root canal treatment plan should answer
Ask any clinic, including us, for clear written answers before you book.
- 1Can this tooth be saved, and what are my other options?
- 2Will you use a rubber dam?
- 3How many visits will I need, and how long will each take?
- 4What temporary filling will I have between visits, and how long should it last?
- 5Will the tooth need a crown, and when?
- 6Who will check healing on X-rays after I go home?
- 7What happens if the infection comes back?
Root canal treatment: your questions
It should not hurt during treatment, because your dentist uses a local anaesthetic. Afterwards, the tooth may feel tender for a few days. On average, pain falls sharply within a day and is minimal by one week.
Often two or more, each about 1 to 2 hours. A Cochrane review found one visit and several visits worked equally well. However, slightly more people had pain in the first week after a single visit.
Often, especially if much of the tooth is lost. A root-filled tooth can become brittle, so your dentist may recommend a crown. Otherwise, a strong filling may be enough.
Many last for years. For example, one review found 86% to 93% survival over 2 to 10 years. Still, a crown, good cleaning and check-ups all help.
Not necessarily. One review found similar long-term survival for root-filled teeth and implant crowns. Also, keeping your own tooth avoids surgery to place an implant.
Sometimes. A temporary filling may last a few weeks, or occasionally a few months. Even so, it can wear down or fall out, so ask your dentist how long it should hold before you travel.
Related guides
Medical review required before publication · General information only; it does not replace an examination, diagnosis or personalised treatment plan.
- NHS. Root canal treatment (reviewed 2025)
- NHS. Dental abscess
- Oral Health Foundation. Root canal treatment
- Oral Health Foundation. Temporary fillings
- Oral Health Foundation. Dental bridge
- Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Dental implants in restorative dentistry, patient information (2025)
- College of General Dentistry. Selection criteria for dental radiography
- Mergoni G et al. Single versus multiple visits for endodontic treatment of permanent teeth. Cochrane review (2022)
- Duncan HF et al. Treatment of pulpal and apical disease: the European Society of Endodontology S3-level clinical practice guideline (2023)
- Patel S et al. European Society of Endodontology position statement: use of cone beam computed tomography in endodontics (2019)
- Pak JG, White SN. Pain prevalence and severity before, during, and after root canal treatment: a systematic review (2011)
- Ng YL et al. Outcome of primary root canal treatment: systematic review of the literature, part 1 (2007)
- Ng YL et al. Tooth survival following non-surgical root canal treatment: a systematic review of the literature (2010)
- Patel SR et al. The tooth survival of non-surgical root-filled posterior teeth and the associated prognostic tooth-related factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2024)
- Aquilino SA, Caplan DJ. Relationship between crown placement and the survival of endodontically treated teeth (2002)
- Gillen BM et al. Impact of the quality of coronal restoration versus the quality of root canal fillings on success of root canal treatment: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2011)
- Torabinejad M et al. Outcomes of root canal treatment and restoration, implant-supported single crowns, fixed partial dentures, and extraction without replacement: a systematic review (2007)
- Bucchi C et al. Non-surgical root canal treatment and retreatment versus apical surgery in treating apical periodontitis: a systematic review (2023)
- Pinto D et al. Long-term prognosis of endodontic microsurgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2020)
Can root canal
treatment save
your tooth?
Send a few clear photos, any recent X-rays and a short note about your symptoms. A dentist will then explain whether root canal treatment, another repair or a replacement looks suitable. Your plan stays provisional until you're examined in person.