demystifying the myths about root canals

Demystifying the Myths about Root Canals

Jan 01, 2020

Most people cringe when they hear the ‘root canal’. Something about that name sparks feelings of anxiety and phobias. Many patients hold back from visiting a root canal dentist, solely from the fear and anxiety they have built up. Even then, is there anything to be scared of when it comes to root canal treatment? Find out below.

What Is Root Canal?

It is a dental treatment associated with decayed teeth. When a tooth is deeply decayed, it causes pain and aches in different parts of the body, including the mouth, neck, head, and shoulders. A root canal is the internal part of the tooth that connects it to its root. This is why a root canal is used to describe the treatment of this part of the tooth.

When Is A Root Canal Necessary?

It is not every day that a root canal treatment will be recommended for you at the dental arts Seminole. A dentist in Seminole, FL must thoroughly examine your teeth to make sure that no other treatment best suits you than root canal therapy. Usually, the treatment is offered for:

  • Advanced tooth decay – one that affects beyond the external structure of the tooth.
  • Infected pulp cavity – particularly where the abscess has already built-up.
  • Tooth injury – especially one that does not have physical chips or cracks. This could mean that the internal parts of the tooth are damaged.

Myths about Root Canals

While root canal therapy has been proven successful over the years, over 50% of the world’s population still battle with dental anxiety, particularly when the root canal is mentioned. Most people hold on to their anxieties over information that is not true or factual. Some of the myths you should stop believing about Root Canals are:

  • It is painful – in the past decades, root canal therapy was a painful process. However, modern technology and innovation have introduced different ways of greeting things done. Most patients of root canal therapy today report feeling very little or no discomfort at all during the procedure. Dentists use local anesthesia to alleviate all discomfort, while technology like lasers makes the process fast and as painless as possible. In fact, the only pain you experience is having your tooth untreated.
  • Too many dental visits – other than dental anxiety, the other thing that people dread is the frequent trips to a dental office. Treatments that require more than 2 dental visits are the most dreaded. Thankfully, today’s cutting edge technology ensures that root canal therapy can be done in one or two dental visits. This saves up on time and improves people’s confidence in the dental system.
  • It involves removing the roots of the tooth – the name root canal has had people mistaken about what the treatment is about. Some think that the procedure involves removing the root of a tooth to treat it. However, that is far from the truth. The treatment is concerned with taking out the pulp contents of the tooth. When a tooth is injured or deeply decayed, the infection gets into the internal parts. The pulp chamber is the central part of the tooth that composes the nerve endings, blood vessels, and other soft tissues. When it is infected, it increases the sensitivity of the tooth and causes pain. For this reason, root canal therapy is a treatment that removes the pulp to alleviate pain and prevent further infection of the tooth.
  • The tooth will come out eventually – some people believe that root canal therapy is not important because the tooth will come out eventually, regardless of the treatment. However, the truth is that a mature tooth can survive without nerve endings and the pulp. After the procedure, what determines the longevity of your tooth is how well you care for it. With proper oral hygiene, good eating habits, and regular dental checkups, such a tooth can last you a lifetime after root canal therapy.
  • You only need root canals when in pain – truthfully, root canals are performed on patients who have toothaches following tooth decay or injury. However, even though you are not in pain, an endodontist can suggest the treatment for you. Since they are experts in what they do, they can detect a tooth whose pulp has been infected. Before the pain begins to bother you, you can remove the pulp and extend the life of your tooth.