RCT Endodontics, Palarivattom
A tooth that throbs at night, aches when you bite, or stays sensitive long after a cold drink usually has a problem in the pulp, the soft tissue at its centre. Root canal treatment removes that tissue, disinfects the canals and seals them, so you keep your own tooth instead of losing it.
At 32 Sparkles Dental Clinic in Palarivattom, Kochi, root canals are carried out by our MDS endodontists, Dr Roshan Babu and Dr Nidha Baby, with CBCT 3D imaging used for complex cases. Clinical protocols are overseen by our founder, Dr Nikita Menon, a dentist with 19 years of clinical experience.
Severe pain or swelling? We keep same-day emergency slots. Call or WhatsApp before you come in so we can fit you in.
Medically reviewed by Dr Nikita Menon, FICOI, 19 years of clinical experience. Last reviewed 2 October 2026
01 Overview
Root canal treatment removes the infected or inflamed pulp from inside a tooth, disinfects the root canals and seals them, so the tooth stays in your mouth. An extraction takes the whole tooth out and leaves a gap that usually needs replacing. A root canal keeps your own tooth; an extraction swaps it for an artificial one.
Every tooth has a hollow centre called the pulp chamber, which continues down each root as a narrow root canal. It holds nerves and blood vessels. When bacteria reach this space through deep decay, a crack or chip or an old leaking filling, the pulp becomes inflamed and then infected. Because it sits inside hard walls, it cannot swell or heal the way gum tissue can.
A root canal treats the inside of the tooth. The dentist removes the pulp, cleans and shapes each canal, disinfects it and fills it with a rubber-like material called gutta-percha. The outer tooth, its roots and the bone around it stay where they are, so you go on chewing on your own tooth.
Extraction is quicker on the day, but the gap then needs an implant, bridge or denture to stop neighbouring teeth drifting. Extraction is the right call when a tooth cannot be restored, which we explain further down.
If an X-ray shows the tooth can be restored, saving it usually costs less over a lifetime than replacing it.
02 Candidacy
Root canal treatment suits a tooth whose pulp is inflamed or infected but which still has enough healthy structure to hold a filling or crown. Typical signs are lingering sensitivity, pain on biting or a gum boil. It is not suitable when the root is cracked or the tooth is too broken or loose to restore.
03 Background
A tooth needs a root canal when bacteria or an injury damage the pulp, the soft tissue inside it. Deep decay is the usual cause. Others are a crack from biting something hard, a filling whose edge has started to leak, repeated work on the same tooth, or a blow to the mouth, a dental emergency that cuts off the pulp's blood supply. Once infected, the pulp cannot heal on its own.
Once bacteria are inside, the pulp passes through stages. At first it is irritated, and cold drinks cause a sharp twinge. Then it becomes irreversibly inflamed, and the pain lingers or comes on by itself. Finally the pulp dies. The pain often stops at that point, but the problem has not gone. The infection moves out through the root tip into the bone and can form an abscess, sometimes with swelling of the face.
A tooth that has stopped hurting but has a dark shadow at the root tip on an X-ray still needs treatment.
04 Options
For teeth with an inflamed but not yet infected pulp, no swelling, and straightforward canals.
For abscesses, swelling, or molars with curved or narrow canals. Medicine is placed inside the tooth between sittings.
For an older root canal that has failed, with returning pain or a shadow on the X-ray. The old filling is removed and the canals treated again.
05 Procedure
Root canal treatment is done in five steps: diagnosis with X-rays, numbing the tooth, cleaning and shaping the canals, filling and sealing them, and restoring the tooth with a filling or crown. At 32 Sparkles Dental Clinic, canals are cleaned with rotary instruments and measured with an electronic apex locator for accuracy.
We test how the tooth responds to cold and tapping, take a digital X-ray, and use a CBCT scan when canals look curved, blocked or previously treated. You get the diagnosis, the options and a cost estimate before anything starts.
Local anaesthetic numbs the tooth and the gum around it. The tooth is then isolated so saliva, which carries bacteria, stays out of the canals while we work.
A small opening is made in the biting surface of the tooth. The pulp is removed, the length of each canal is measured with an electronic apex locator, and the canals are shaped with rotary files while being rinsed with disinfecting solutions. This is the longest and most important step.
The cleaned canals are filled with gutta-percha and a sealer to stop bacteria getting back in. In a multiple sitting case, medicine is placed first and the tooth closed with a temporary filling until the next visit.
The opening is closed with a filling. Back teeth usually also get a crown, planned with our prosthodontist and recorded with a digital intraoral scan instead of impression putty where suitable.
Ask how many canals your tooth has and whether a CBCT scan is needed; those two answers decide how long your appointment takes.
06 Cost
In Palarivattom and across Kochi, root canal treatment generally falls between ₹3,000 and ₹12,000 per tooth, not including the crown. A front tooth sits at the lower end and a molar at the upper end. These are indicative market ranges collected from Kochi clinics, not a quotation from 32 Sparkles Dental Clinic.
| Front tooth (1 root canal) | ₹3,000 to ₹6,000 |
|---|---|
| Premolar (1 to 2 root canals) | ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 |
| Molar (3 to 4 root canals) | ₹6,000 to ₹12,000 |
| Re-treatment | Above first-time range |
| Metal | ₹4,000 to ₹8,000 |
|---|---|
| Porcelain fused to metal | ₹8,000 to ₹15,000 |
| Zirconia | ₹8,000 to ₹20,000 |
| E-max (all ceramic) | ₹12,000 to ₹25,000 |
More canals, curved or blocked canals, an active abscess needing extra visits, a CBCT scan, re-treating an old root canal, a post to support the crown, and ceramic crown materials.
Treating early before infection spreads, a front tooth with a single root canal, finishing in a single sitting, and choosing a metal or porcelain fused to metal crown where appearance matters less.
Your final cost depends on several factors, including the tooth, its condition, the number of visits and the restoration chosen. An in-person evaluation with an X-ray is required before we can give you an estimate.
Ask at the front desk whether staged payments or EMI are available for your treatment plan. For root canal and crown together, the root canal is usually paid at the visit it is done and the crown when it is fitted.
Budget for the crown at the same time as the root canal, since a back tooth left without one is a common reason treatment fails.
We explain the diagnosis and cost before any treatment starts.
Call to book an evaluation07 Second opinion
If another dentist has advised a root canal or an extraction and you are unsure, bring your X-rays. Our endodontists will examine the tooth and tell you plainly whether it can be saved.
Send your X-ray on WhatsApp08 Aftercare
Aftercare after a root canal is simple. Wait for the numbness to wear off before eating, expect mild tenderness for two or three days, avoid chewing hard food on the tooth until the crown or final filling is placed, and keep your follow-up visits. Most patients go back to work the same day.
Do not eat until the numbness wears off. Tenderness when biting is normal. Take the painkiller your dentist suggests and chew on the other side.
Tenderness settles. Avoid hard or sticky food on a temporary filling. Call us if swelling increases or pain gets worse instead of better.
Get the crown or final filling done on time. A treated back tooth without a crown can split, and a split tooth usually cannot be saved.
Brush twice a day, clean between teeth, and keep six-monthly check-ups with your general dentist. We take a follow-up X-ray to confirm the bone around the root has healed.
09 Honest limits
A root canal is not the right choice when the tooth cannot be restored or kept stable: a cracked root, too little tooth left, or a tooth loosened by gum disease. In most other cases it works well. A systematic review found 86 to 93 out of 100 treated teeth still in place 2 to 10 years later.
Some still fail, usually because of a crack, a leaking crown or a canal that could not be fully cleaned.
We advise against a root canal and discuss extraction instead when:
We then explain the replacement options and leave the choice with you.
Before agreeing to an extraction, ask to see the crack or bone loss on the X-ray yourself.
10 Your visit
A root canal appointment at 32 Sparkles takes about 60 to 90 minutes: a short medical history, an examination and X-ray, a clear explanation with an estimate, then treatment under local anaesthesia.
At the front desk, tell us about any medicines, blood thinners, diabetes or pregnancy. The dentist then examines the tooth, takes a digital X-ray and explains what it shows. You hear the diagnosis, the options and an estimate before you agree to anything.
Once the tooth is numb, you feel pressure and hear the instruments, but not sharp pain. Raise your hand at any point and we stop. You leave with aftercare instructions and a number to call if anything feels wrong.
11 Why us
Dr Nikita founded 32 Sparkles Dental Clinic in Palarivattom in 2010 and has 19 years of clinical experience in general, cosmetic and implant dentistry. She holds a Fellowship of the International Congress of Oral Implantologists (FICOI) and training in digital implant planning, occlusion and biomimetic dentistry. Root canals at the clinic are carried out by MDS endodontists Dr Roshan Babu and Dr Nidha Baby.
Read Dr Nikita Menon's profileRoot canals are done by endodontists, dentists with a postgraduate degree in endodontics, not only by general dentists.
CBCT scans show extra canals, curves and cracks that a flat X-ray can miss. Rotary files and an electronic apex locator keep cleaning accurate to the root tip.
Our MDS prosthodontist, Dr Krishnapriya, plans the crown, with digital intraoral scanning in place of impression putty where suitable.
Monday to Saturday until 7:30 pm and Sunday until 3 pm, with same-day emergency slots for pain and swelling.
Bring any old X-rays to your first visit so the endodontist can compare them with today's scan.
12 Gallery
A look inside our dental clinic on MKK Nair Road in Palarivattom: the reception, consultation and treatment rooms, and the team you will meet.
13 Patients
Video stories from patients are on our patient testimonials page. Before and after photographs are shown only with written patient consent.
Read our reviews on Google14 Location
We are on MKK Nair Road in Palarivattom. The nearest Kochi Metro station is Palarivattom. Patients come to us from across Palarivattom and the rest of Kochi; see our dentist in Palarivattom page for directions.
| Monday | 9:30 am to 7:30 pm |
|---|---|
| Tuesday | 9:30 am to 7:30 pm |
| Wednesday | 9:30 am to 7:30 pm |
| Thursday | 9:30 am to 7:30 pm |
| Friday | 9:30 am to 7:30 pm |
| Saturday | 9:30 am to 7:30 pm |
| Sunday | 9:30 am to 3:00 pm |
15 Visiting Kochi
Many of our patients live in the Gulf, Europe or elsewhere in India and fit dental work into a short trip home. A root canal suits this well, because most cases finish within one to three visits. Send us a recent X-ray and your travel dates on WhatsApp before you fly, and we will tell you whether the tooth looks treatable and how to schedule the visits and the crown within your stay.
If time runs short, we can complete the root canal and place a strong temporary restoration, with the crown done on your next trip.
16 FAQ
The tooth is numbed with local anaesthetic before we start, so most patients feel pressure and vibration rather than pain. The tooth and gum can feel tender for two or three days afterwards, which usually settles with the painkiller your dentist recommends. A tooth with an active abscess can take longer to numb, and we wait until it is fully numb before continuing.
Yes, many root canals are finished in a single sitting of 60 to 90 minutes. Teeth with swelling, an abscess or curved canals usually need a multiple sitting root canal, two or three sittings about a week apart, with medicine placed inside the tooth between sittings. A crown, if needed, is fitted at a later appointment.
Back teeth usually do, because they take most of the chewing force and a root canal treated tooth is more likely to crack. Front teeth with little damage can often be restored with a filling alone. Your dentist will tell you which applies after looking at how much tooth is left.
A systematic review found that 86 to 93 out of 100 root canal treated teeth were still in place 2 to 10 years after treatment. A well fitting crown, good brushing and regular check-ups make the biggest difference to how long yours lasts.
Once the numbness wears off, eat soft food such as idli, dosa, rice, curd, eggs or soft vegetables, and chew on the other side. Avoid hard, crunchy or sticky food on the treated tooth until the final filling or crown is fitted, because the tooth is weaker until then.
Tenderness usually settles within three to five days. If the bone around the root tip was infected, it heals more slowly over 6 to 12 months, which we check on a follow-up X-ray. Most patients go back to work the same day.
Antibiotics can calm swelling for a short time, but they cannot reach bacteria living inside the root canals. Once the course ends, the infection usually returns. Removing the source, either by root canal treatment or by extraction, is what resolves it.
Tell us if you are pregnant. Urgent treatment for pain or infection can be carried out with suitable anaesthetic and shielded X-rays, and planned treatment is usually scheduled for the second trimester. We coordinate with your obstetrician when needed.
17 Book
Tell us what is bothering you and we will reply on WhatsApp with the next available slot. For severe pain or swelling, please call.
Sources: American Association of Endodontists, Root canal treatment; Ng et al., Tooth survival following non-surgical root canal treatment: a systematic review, International Endodontic Journal, 2010.
This page is general information and not a diagnosis or treatment plan. Prices are indicative Kochi market ranges, not a quotation from 32 Sparkles Dental Clinic, and depend on clinical evaluation. Treatment outcomes vary between individuals.
