Few phrases make patients tense up quite like “root canal”. For many people in Camberley and across Surrey, the words still conjure stories from decades ago: long appointments, uncomfortable injections, and a lingering dread about the chair. Matt Cottam, one of Atrium Dental’s dentists and currently studying for a master’s in endodontics, says the reality of modern root canal treatment is almost unrecognisable from that reputation.

In an interview about his clinical interests, Matt was direct about where the fear comes from and why he believes patients deserve a better story.

“The stigma around root canal does come from feeling pain during the procedure, and anaesthetics have come a long way.” — Matt Cottam

Where the fear actually comes from

Root canal treatment has carried its reputation for generations, but Matt is clear that the experience patients picture is not the experience he delivers. The fear, he explains, traces back to a time when numbing options were limited and equipment was slower and less precise. Today, the materials, the instruments and the anaesthetics are all in a different league.

For Matt, helping patients separate the modern procedure from the historical one is part of the job.

“Even today, we still get a lot of patients who shrink at the words, so it’s slowly trying to change that one by one.” — Matt Cottam

How Atrium keeps a root canal comfortable

Matt’s approach is built around removing pain at every stage of the appointment, starting before any instrument touches the tooth. He uses a topical numbing gel on the gum before any injection so that the injection itself is comfortable. From there, he takes the time to make sure the tooth is fully anaesthetised before any treatment begins.

It is a small set of steps, but they make a measurable difference to how the appointment feels. Some patients are so relaxed that they nod off.

“A lot of my patients do fall asleep during treatment, because it is quite a long procedure, but it’s very comfortable.” — Matt Cottam

That is not a throwaway line. A root canal does take time, often longer than a standard filling, because the canals inside the tooth need to be carefully cleaned, shaped and sealed. Comfort is a clinical priority because a patient who can settle into the chair is a patient who can have the work done properly in one focused appointment, rather than in rushed sessions with anxiety in the way.

Modern equipment, better outcomes

Matt is currently completing a master’s in endodontics, the specialist field that covers root canal treatment. He is candid about why he chose it: he found the work genuinely satisfying as a student, and he saw how much the tools and techniques had moved on.

Better imaging, more flexible instruments and improved materials all play a part. Together they mean cleaner canals, better seals and stronger long-term outcomes for the tooth. As Matt explains, the result is a procedure that is both more predictable and, on many cases, quicker.

“The equipment and the materials that we have now have maximised our success rates, and made it a lot more of an efficient procedure as well.” — Matt Cottam

Higher success rates matter because they translate to something patients actually feel: less pain at the time, and far less chance of further trouble down the line. A well-completed root canal can keep a natural tooth functioning for years, which is always Matt’s first goal where the tooth is saveable.

What to expect from a root canal appointment in Camberley

For patients new to the practice, a typical root canal visit at Atrium follows a calm, predictable rhythm. Matt likes to start with a conversation rather than the drill, taking time to understand any past dental experiences and to talk through what is about to happen.

From there, the practical steps are straightforward:

• Topical numbing gel is applied before any injection.
• Local anaesthetic is given gently and unhurriedly, with time allowed for the tooth to become completely numb.
• A rubber dam is placed to keep the area clean and protected.
• The infected or inflamed tissue inside the tooth is removed, the canals are cleaned and shaped, and the inside of the tooth is sealed.
• A long-lasting restoration, often a crown, is planned to protect the tooth afterwards.

Throughout the visit, the focus stays on keeping patients comfortable. If a Surrey Heath patient needs a break, they take one. If they have questions, Matt pauses and answers them. Anyone who has been putting off treatment because of nerves will recognise how much that pace matters.

Why saving the natural tooth is still the goal

One of Matt’s strongest convictions is that nothing replaces a natural tooth quite like the original. Implants, bridges and dentures all have their place — and his colleague and mentor Matt Golightly has been placing implants in Surrey for over 20 years — but Matt Cottam’s preference, where it is clinically possible, is to keep what the patient already has.

A successful root canal preserves the tooth’s root, ligament and natural feel inside the mouth. For many patients in Camberley that is the most reassuring part of all: they walk in worried about losing a tooth and walk out with the tooth still in place and the pain gone.

Book a consultation with Matt at Atrium

If you have been told you may need a root canal, or you have a toothache that simply will not settle, it is worth speaking to a dentist who treats this work as a clinical interest rather than a chore. Matt sees patients from Camberley, Surrey Heath and across Surrey, and he is happy to talk through any concerns before treatment begins.

You can read more about root canal treatment in Camberley on our service page, or get in touch with the practice to arrange a consultation with Matt. If dental nerves are part of the picture, our nervous patients page explains how we approach those first appointments.

MEET

Matt Cottam

Dentist · BDS Birm 2020 · GDC 290331

Matt Cottam qualified from the University of Birmingham in 2020 and has since developed a special interest in endodontics, currently working toward his Master's in the field. He joined Atrium having known the practice principal, Matt Golightly, since he was a teenager — Matt G was his own dentist, first encouraged him into the profession, and has mentored him through training and into clinical life.

Known for his calm and caring manner, Matt is especially popular with nervous patients. He takes the time to get to know each person before treatment begins and uses modern numbing techniques that make procedures genuinely comfortable — many of his patients fall asleep during longer appointments. He is a strong advocate for saving natural teeth wherever possible, a philosophy that runs through his approach to root canal treatment.

Outside of dentistry, his ideal day off would be spent on a sunny golf course abroad, enjoying a relaxing round in great weather.