A tooth that throbs on its own, or keeps hurting long after something hot touched it, usually has an infected nerve. An emergency root canal is how we save that tooth. Our Phoenix office does same-day root canals Monday through Saturday, 7am to 5pm. Call (602) 737-2446 and we'll get you in today.
The $45 covers the emergency exam and diagnostic X-rays. Treatment is priced separately and quoted to you in writing before any work starts.
Open Saturdays · Same-day appointments · Most PPO plans · Se habla español
Signs you need an emergency root canal today
The nerve inside a tooth doesn't heal itself. Once bacteria reach it, through a deep cavity or a crack or a leaking old filling, the toothache builds until the nerve dies or the infection breaks out into the bone.
Watch for these:
- Pain that lingers for 30 seconds or more after hot or cold, instead of fading right away
- A dull ache that turns into throbbing when you lie down
- Pain when you bite or tap the tooth
- A pimple on the gum near the tooth, sometimes with a bad taste
- Swelling in the gum or the side of your face
The last two mean the infection has already formed an abscess. Read our dental abscess treatment page for what that changes, and go to an emergency room first if you have a fever with facial swelling or any trouble swallowing or breathing.
What happens at your same-day visit
Our dentists start with the exam and X-rays, then test the tooth with cold and light tapping to confirm which tooth is the source.
If the nerve is infected and the tooth is worth keeping, you'll get a written price for the root canal before anything else happens. Then the tooth is numbed thoroughly. Infected teeth can be harder to numb, so our dentists take their time with that step.
The root canal itself: a small opening in the biting surface, the infected nerve tissue cleaned out of each root, the canals shaped and washed with a disinfecting solution, then sealed with a rubber-like filling material. A temporary filling closes the tooth. Many emergency root canals are finished in that one visit. A tooth with a heavy infection may get medicine placed inside and a second visit to seal it once the infection has calmed down.
Cost of an emergency root canal in Phoenix
Your visit starts at $45, which covers the emergency exam and diagnostic X-rays. The root canal itself is priced after the diagnosis, in writing, and depends on which tooth it is and whether a crown is needed afterward.
We accept cash and most major PPO plans (Cigna, Aetna, Delta Dental, Guardian, and Principal among them), and payment plans through CareCredit, Cherry, and HFD can spread the cost out. Our cost and insurance page explains how the exam-to-price process works, step by step.
Why patients choose our Phoenix office
Root canals are done in-house, the same day, by our dentists. You won't be examined here and then sent somewhere else for the actual treatment.
The office is open Monday through Saturday, 7am to 5pm, Saturday included. The phone is answered 24/7 by a real person. On Sunday we're closed, but whoever answers can hold the first Monday slot for you, and Monday opens at 7am.
Calling ahead lets us have a room ready, but if you'd rather just drive over, walk-ins are seen the same day.
For longer visits, nitrous oxide, oral and IV sedation are available; ask when you call. Cash and most PPO plans are accepted here, CareCredit, Cherry, and HFD payment plans can be arranged, and parking is on site.
Emergency root canal near you in Phoenix
We're at 10209 N 35th Ave Ste 129B, Phoenix, AZ 85051, on 35th Avenue between Dunlap and Peoria, in the North Mountain area of northwest Phoenix. It's about a mile west of I-17; use exit 207 (Dunlap) or exit 208 (Peoria). The Metro Parkway light rail station is about a mile east of us, and bus Route 35 runs right up 35th Avenue.
Patients coming from Sunnyslope reach us in 10 to 15 minutes heading west on Dunlap or Peoria. From Alhambra and Christown, it's 19th or 35th Avenue north to Dunlap. From Moon Valley, take Thunderbird or Cactus west to 35th, then south, about 15 minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Can a root canal really be done the same day?
Yes. If you call in the morning, the exam, X-rays, diagnosis, and root canal can all happen in one visit. Some heavily infected teeth need medicine placed inside first and a second short visit to finish, but the pain relief comes at the first appointment, because the infected nerve is removed that day.
Root canal or extraction: which should I choose?
Keep the tooth when you can. A root canal removes the infection but leaves your own tooth and root in place, which protects the bone and your bite. Extraction makes sense when the tooth is cracked through the root, too decayed to rebuild, or you'd rather not invest in a crown afterward. Our dentists will lay out both paths with a written price for each.
What if I wait and the pain goes away?
The pain stopping usually means the nerve has died, and the infection is still there. Left alone, it can form an abscess, spread into the jawbone, and eventually make the tooth unsavable, which turns a root canal into an emergency tooth extraction. A tooth that hurt badly and then went quiet should still be seen this week.