Many people mistakenly think that root canal therapy is an invasive, painful, and difficult procedure. In reality, this is not the case. With sedation and numbing agents, most patients experience minimal pain and discomfort during their root canal procedure. In fact, root canal therapy is often the best way to get relief from the debilitating pain of a toothache, which is a common symptom of infected teeth. Root canals usually take less than 90 minutes to complete, and are only about as invasive as having a filling placed.