Root canal treatment is a dental procedure recommended by dentists when there is trauma or infection in the nerve or pulp found in a tooth’s canal. The trauma or infection can be caused by various reasons or factors, which include the following:
- The presence of abscess or decay, also known as an infection, on a tooth.
- Trauma or injury on the tooth, such as a chipped or broken tooth, which results in the exposure of the nerve.
- The slow death of a tooth due to aging or previous trauma which was not treated immediately.
Root Canal Therapy Myths and Facts
A leading Laurel, MD dentist says that root canal therapy is widely regarded as the most feared dental procedure. However, this is mainly due to the inaccurate information many people have about this treatment.
Below are some of the most common root canal therapy myths and the truth behind them:
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Myth: Root canal therapy is painful.
Fact: According to a study published by the American Association of Endodontists, the perception that people have about root canal therapy being painful comes from the early treatment methods used to perform this procedure. Dental experts also say that if you are already suffering from pain on the day of your treatment, your apprehension and fear may heighten the sensations you feel during the procedure.
In actuality, root canal therapy is done to provide pain relief to patients. The majority of people who undergo this dental procedure admit they did not experience any pain during the treatment and that they felt better afterwards.
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Myth: Your tooth has to hurt really bad before you can undergo root canal therapy.
Fact: You don’t have to be suffering from a really bad toothache for a dentist to recommend root canal therapy. In many cases, teeth that are already dead but are not at all painful may require root canal treatment to prevent the tooth from becoming further infected.
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Myth: There is no immediate need to undergo root canal therapy since the tooth will be taken out eventually.
Fact: There is no correct reason to assume that the treated tooth will still be extracted in the future. In general, most root canal treatments are successful and will result in the tooth being saved.
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Myth: You will have to visit your dentist several times to complete the therapy.
Fact: Your dentist can complete the therapy in one to two appointments. However, there are various factors that have to be considered to determine the number of appointments needed to complete a root canal procedure. These include the extent of the infection and the difficulty of the procedure. Also, tooth restoration is essential after the procedure to make it functional again. Leading dentists say that the appointments needed to completely restore the tooth should not be considered part of the root canal procedure.