Common Myths About Root Canal Treatment

Root canal treatment is a procedure an endodontist - who is a dentist that specialized in root canal treatment - uses to treat infected teeth. Under the hard, outer-most enamel and dentin layers, there is a soft tissue called pulp. This tissue accommodates blood vessels, connective tissue, and nerves of the tooth. 

When the pulp becomes inflamed or infected due to severe deterioration, undergoing a root canal in Toronto becomes imperative. Other reasons for you to get a root canal might be a crack in your tooth or a bad crown. Not treating this type of condition could lead to more complex surgical procedures or even total tooth removal. People are often nervous about undergoing root canal treatment. However, there are many “facts” that are actually just myths, we will debunk them below.

Take a look at the following five myths of root canal treatment.

It’s painful

The procedure is painless. Furthermore, root canal therapy reduces preexisting pain as it removes the pulp, which is where the nerve terminations are located. Some decades ago, root canal treatment performed by a dentist near you, was very painful. This was due to lack of training, equipment anesthesia, and technology. Things have changed in modern times.

If pain is the reason you're considering not seeking this treatment, you should think twice.

It takes ages to get done

Root canal treatment isn’t usually done in one visit. It requires more than one appointment at a dental clinic to restore the tooth, which is why many people think extracting teeth is better as it appears to be more immediate. But the truth is, you will still need a dental implant and crown placed if you do this.

The aforementioned will result in a treatment more expensive than root canal therapy, and will also require many visits to the dentist. Normally it only takes two or three visits to the specialist to complete the root canal procedure, depending on the state of the tooth.

It murders the tooth

A root canal procedure does exactly the opposite of murdering the tooth; in fact, it cleans and disinfects the tooth. By cleaning it from the inside, the tooth has a much better chance of being salvaged.

It’s rarely successful

Do you know, 95% of root canals performed by a professional are successful? The key to a successful root canal treatment is that the tooth and surrounding gums are kept healthy and the patient practices outstanding oral hygiene. If you comply with this, the natural tooth can and will prevail without any further treatment or therapy for the rest of your life.

It causes illnesses

Not having a root canal, could lead to other health issues throughout the body, but receiving treatment completely reduces the risk. Many years ago, people believed that root canals resulted in health diseases but that myth was based on debunked research. As of now, there is virtually no evidence whatsoever to support that claim.

On the contrary, there’s evidence supporting the fact that it helps prevent other conditions as it removes bad bacteria from the part of the mouth that is infected and thus prevents reinfection. The essential purpose of root canal treatment eliminates infection as its foundation, it does not cause it.

It might seem a little bit obvious, but having excellent oral hygiene can improve severe conditions by a considerable margin. It can also prevent other oral health problems and general health conditions like heart disease, which can be derived from pulp infection or inflammation. Therefore, if you wonder “should I get a root canal near me as my dentist advised?”, you shouldn’t fear these five myths we just explained for you any longer.