Common myths about Root Canal Treatment
Myth #1: A root canal is painful
Root canals don’t cause pain, they relieve it! With today’s modern anesthetics and technology, a root canal is no more painful than getting a simple filling.
Your dentist will make sure you are comfortably numb and relaxed and then will remove the pain-causing infected pulp from your tooth. After it’s cleaned out, the dentist will fill in the hole to seal out any further invading bacteria and repair the enamel of the tooth with a filling or cap the tooth with a protective crown.
Myth #2: It’s better to just have the tooth removed
A tooth extraction should always be a “last resort” treatment. Nothing functions as well as your own natural teeth, so preserving them whenever possible is always the best alternative. A root canal allows you to keep your now healthy natural tooth. This prevents you from having to resort to other dental treatments, such as bridges or implants, to fill in the gap left by an extracted tooth.
Myth #3: You only need a root canal if your tooth hurts
Sometimes a tooth’s root infection has become so severe that the tooth actually dies. You may no longer be feeling any pain but infection is still present and damaging your underlying bone structure. Even at this point, a root canal can still save the tooth structure itself. Routine dental exams are important to detect any sign of tooth infection and deal with it before it becomes painful and damaging.
Myth #4: Root canals take many visits to complete
Most root canals can be completed in just a couple of hours. If there is no serious infection they can usually be finished in one appointment or you may have to return to complete the filling or crown procedure. The condition of your tooth and the severity of infection dictate the treatment time needed.
Myth #5: Infections are common after a root canal
A re-infection of the tooth root can happen, but it is not common. If infection returns, further treatment will be needed. The newest dental materials used to pack a tooth after a root canal have been specifically designed to significantly reduce the likelihood of re-infection.
Fact: root canals are nothing to fear!
Hopefully, knowing the truth about these misconceptions will make you feel more confident the next time your dentist says the words “root canal.” This procedure can save your tooth and protect the health of the surrounding bone and teeth in just one or two painless visits to your dentist. That’s fabulous!
Keeping your smile healthy well into the future starts with creating healthy at-home habits followed by regular visits to our Dr Mewada's Microdentistry Center once a year. To learn more about your treatment options call us!