One of the most misunderstood and feared dental procedures has to be a root canal. It could be the myths surrounding it or visions of drills and pain they believe go along with a root canal. Don’t let these myths prevent you from getting this tooth saving procedure, let’s have a look at the myths and facts surrounding root canals.
The belief that root canals involve a lot of pain are false, modern dentistry has made a root canal procedure painless. That pain and eliminating it is the reason you need to have the damaged tissue removed, once it’s removed so is the pain.
Research done by Dr Weston Price in the early 1900’s claimed that having a root canal caused illness, a theory that has since been discredited. And root canal therapies have come a long way since then.
Some patients think if there’s no pain there’s no need to have a root canal. It’s designed to save the tooth and keep it from becoming infected so pain is not a good indication of a problem. Below the enamel there is the tissue and nerves that can become infected or inflamed which is what you want to avoid.
The mistaken belief that a root canal requires endless appointments to complete is why patients are reluctant to have it done. In fact most root canals can be completed in as little as one or 2 appointments and a follow up to check that all is well after the procedure.
Now let’s look at the facts about root canals, first and foremost is that they work. Allowing most patients to keep the tooth for the rest of their lives is the purpose of having this therapy. With a success rate of close to 95% they are designed to both save the tooth and stop infections before they start.
It does not kill the tooth, the surface is very much still alive and the procedure saves the tooth from extraction.
Yes the tooth does need to be crowned afterwards or it defeats the purpose of saving the tooth. Once the infected nerves and tissue are removed a proper seal is needed to seal and protect the tooth.
Root canals are recommended to save your natural tooth, at Kitsilano Endodontics in Vancouver BC we are here to answer any questions about this therapy. Give our reception desk a call today and set up an appointment to discuss your course of treatment.