The Price of Pain: Dangers of Avoiding a Root Canal

Are you experiencing symptoms of a root canal? Do you have extreme pain, sensitivity to hot and cold, or tooth discoloration?

Your first reaction is probably to stay away from the dentist as much as possible. (The absence of pain from the procedure and avoiding the upfront cost… feels like a victory!)

However, staying out of that dentist’s chair may save you money now, but you’ll pay for it heavily later.

With modern advancements in dentistry, the root canal process is highly efficient and designed to relieve pain, not cause it. Having an experienced and caring dentist also makes a world of difference. We frequently treat patients who arrive highly anxious after weeks of sleepless nights, only to leave our clinic relieved, noting how gentle and manageable the procedure actually was.

On the other hand, the dangers of avoiding a root canal could cause severe systemic medical problems that require far more extensive care, dramatically increasing the physical and financial costs.

At our dental clinic in Northwest Calgary, we’d like to explain exactly how putting off a root canal could cost you your health and your savings.

So, what are the medical and financial consequences of delaying a root canal?

Problems that require a root canal will not go away on their own.

Whether our dentist recommended a root canal, or you think you need one, it’s not wise to hide away!

While it may not be a procedure you’re excited about, when you understand the grave dangers of avoiding a root canal, you’ll see it’s best to take care of it early.

Spread of Infection

If the tooth is infected and you don’t receive a root canal, the infection could spread to the jawbone and throughout your mouth.

Even worse, the infection can disseminate beyond the oral cavity into the bloodstream (bacteremia). In extreme cases, this unchecked bacterial spread can become life-threatening, causing an issue known as sepsis—a severe, dysregulated immune response to an infection that can rapidly lead to tissue damage and multiple organ failure.

Unbearable Pain

As your localized infection worsens, so will the pain. It can quickly become unbearable, hindering normal life activities like sleeping, eating, and concentrating.

Moreover, any sensitivity to cold or hot will also intensify as the infection reaches the deep dental pulp.

While you may be trying to avoid a root canal due to dental anxiety, you should know that any discomfort you feel during the procedure is minimal—much less than the excruciating pain of an active, untreated infection.

Our dentist will provide you with a powerful local anesthetic during the procedure to completely numb any feeling in the area. You might experience some mild, localized tenderness following the root canal, but you can easily manage it by taking an over-the-counter analgesic (like ibuprofen), which will reduce or eliminate the inflammation. Our clinical team can also recommend other means to ease your recovery, such as cold compresses.

Acute Abscess and Systemic Complications

An untreated tooth infection typically develops into an abscess—a pocket of pus forming near the infection site at the root apex. A systemic fever, facial swelling, and excruciating throbbing pain typically accompany an acute abscess. Opening your mouth and chewing may become highly problematic.

Not to mention, the bacteria from an untreated abscess can enter your circulatory system and spread to other parts of your body, including your heart valves. Yes, that’s right; your oral health can profoundly impact your cardiovascular system. According to the American Heart Association, oral pathogens can cause infective endocarditis—a life-threatening inflammation of the heart’s valves and chambers characterized by chest pain, shortness of breath, and night sweats.

When this goes untreated, it frequently requires severe surgical intervention (such as valve replacement) and carries a high mortality risk.

More Difficult (and Costly) Treatment

As was previously mentioned, the localized infection spreads and destroys more bone whenever treatment is postponed.

Because back teeth (molars) have multiple, often curved tooth roots, treatment for these teeth may be more involved. That typically means a more extensive and costly course of treatment.

Following the current Alberta Dental Association Fee Guide, a standard root canal baseline ranges from $760 to over $2,000 (before insurance application), depending on the complexity and number of canals. (Note: Your personal out-of-pocket cost may be much lower depending on your private dental benefits or coverage under the Canadian Dental Care Plan).

Conversely, the average cost of delaying a root canal is financially devastating. If the tooth cannot be saved, you will lose it entirely. Replacing a missing tooth with a surgical dental implant and crown ranges from $3,800 to $6,000+ in the Calgary market. If the infection spreads and destroys surrounding bone, requiring bone grafting, the cost continues to rise.

By avoiding a standard procedure today, the damage to your health and your wallet multiplies.

Tooth Loss

Ignoring an infected tooth will inevitably lead to the loss of that tooth. Think about this for a minute: when somebody has a missing tooth and a scar on their face, which do you notice first when they smile?

Whenever you undergo endodontic therapy, our dentist removes the infection, cleans the canal system, and seals it, preventing the bacteria from spreading and allowing you to preserve your natural, native tooth for years to come.

You May Be at Risk of Stroke or Heart Disease

Any untreated chronic infection introduces a severe inflammatory burden to your body. Advanced tooth infections are widely recognized by the National Institutes of Health and modern medical consensus as contributing factors to broader cardiovascular issues.

The chronic inflammation associated with apical periodontitis can accelerate arterial plaque buildup, leaving you at an elevated risk of suffering from a heart attack or an ischemic stroke. These are serious, life-altering health emergencies that simply aren’t worth the risk of avoiding the dentist chair.

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As your dentist in Northwest Calgary, our clinical team wants to prevent the need for costly and invasive systemic medical treatments by offering you predictable solutions to correct oral health problems early.

In many cases, saving your natural tooth and stopping the spread of infection requires professional root canal treatment. Fortunately, despite outdated myths, this is a highly effective, routine clinical service designed specifically to relieve your pain, not cause it. By utilizing modern endodontic advancements—including high-resolution imaging, precise rotary endodontics, and powerful local anesthetics—our dental team ensures your procedure is efficient and strictly focused on your comfort.

We understand that dental anxiety is a very real barrier to care. That is why our entire clinical team exercises the utmost compassion, pacing the procedure to your comfort level and ensuring you feel safe, heard, and relaxed from start to finish.

Protect your systemic health, preserve your natural smile, and prevent costly future extractions. Take the first step toward immediate relief—book your comprehensive root canal evaluation with our experienced dentists today.

Or reach out to our team directly:

• Call us at: 403-282-9141
• Email us at: info@16thavenuedental.ca

Our location is in northwest Calgary. We can offer care to Mount Pleasant, Crescent Heights, Hillhurst, Sunnyside, Kensington, West Hillhurst, Capitol Hill, Rosedale, Tuxedo, Briar Hill, Renfrew, Rosemont, and downtown Calgary.