If your dentist recently told you that you need a root canal, chances are the first thing you did when you got home was open a search engine to find out as much as you possibly could about this procedure. While the Internet can be a great place to conduct genuine research, it’s also chock-full of inaccurate information. This is especially true when it comes to misunderstood dental treatments like root canal therapy. There are a lot of scary rumors out there. To help set your mind at ease, let’s bust four root canal myths.
Myth #1: Root Canals Are Painful
This idea may have come from the fact that root canal therapy is a common treatment for an infection in the center of the tooth, called the pulp. Infections like these can cause debilitating toothaches, which might be why some people have associated pain with the procedure.
The truth is that root canals are designed to actually relieve severe tooth pain by removing the infected pulp. Modern dental anesthetics and sedation have made getting a root canal feel similar to getting a filling.
Myth #2: Root Canals Make You Sick
A common misconception on the Internet is that root canals cause cancer or other illnesses. This myth is based on outdated and thoroughly debunked research from the 1920s. There is no scientific evidence linking root canal therapy to an increased risk of sickness. If anything, root canals improve your oral and overall health by removing a bacterial infection from your mouth.
Myth #3: It’s Better to Pull a Tooth Than Get a Root Canal
It’s always best to save your natural tooth whenever possible. As revolutionary and lifelike as modern dental implants are, nothing beats the pearly whites you were born with. Tooth extraction can be a traumatic and sometimes expensive procedure, so it’s not recommended unless your dentist determines it’s the best thing for your oral health. Root canal therapy allows you to keep your natural tooth, often for the rest of your life.
Myth #4: You Only Need a Root Canal If Your Tooth Really Hurts
In some cases, an infection can damage a tooth’s pulp so badly that the nerve is no longer able to send pain signals to the brain. When this happens, the tooth is said to have “died.” However, just because the tooth is dead doesn’t mean your oral health isn’t still in danger. Without prompt treatment, the infection could spread to other teeth, your gums, your jawbone, or even other parts of your body. Root canal therapy removes the infection before it can cause further damage.
Researching root canals on the Internet can give you a lot of inaccuracies. Rest assured that this procedure isn’t scary like you may have heard it is. When done by a dentist you trust, root canal therapy is nothing to worry about.
About the Author
Dr. Tommy Murph studied dentistry at the Medical University of South Carolina and has been practicing dentistry in the Conway, SC area for more than 25 years. He has undergone special training in oral surgery and offers sedation to soothe anxious patients. If you have a severe toothache and think you might need a root canal, contact Dr. Murph at (843) 488-4357.