Root Canals: What’s The Real Story?

If you’ve been around the world for any amount of time you’ve probably heard of root canals. These horrifying dental treatments are, if the rumors are true, the worst thing you could ever have happen in your mouth. You’ll suffer from excruciating pain, secondary infection, and complete misery!

Like any controversial medical technique root canals are, of course, nowhere near as bad as they seem. At Really Smiles in Indianapolis we’ve answered a lot of questions from a lot of patients who’ve been worried about root canals and we always tell them the same thing: there’s nothing to worry about!

We want to go over some of the most common root canal myths and help explain why you don’t have anything to fear from this tooth-saving, pain-relieving condition!

Myth #1: Root Canals Are Painful

Let’s explain what a root canal is and why they’re performed as we tackle this myth – they go hand in hand!

When a cavity gets so deep it reaches the root of your tooth it can get quite painful. The soft pulp at the center of a tooth becomes infected and inflamed and needs to be removed to prevent a secondary infection, abscess, and serious pain!

A root canal involves going into the root of the tooth and removing the infected pulp with a series of special tools. Patients who come to our Indianapolis dentist office are always under anesthesia when we perform a root canal, so you won’t feel a thing! And contrary to the idea of a root canal hurting they’re meant to provide instant relief for pain due to infection! Most patients are amazed at how much better they feel once their root canal is complete!

Myth #2: Root Canals Cause Other Illnesses

The origin of this myth goes all the way back to the early 20th century. A man named Dr. Weston Price put for the idea that infections have a focal point, in this case a tooth, that always carries the risk of later infection. This is, of course, untrue!

The staying power of this myth comes from a long history of misunderstanding. Dr. Price’s “focal infection theory” was disproven only a couple decades after he proposed it and has long been considered another historic misunderstanding of the human body.

Root canals don’t leave behind any infected tissue. The center of your tooth is filled with a plastic-like material that leaves it protected and infection free!

Myth #3: Root Canals Are Temporary

There are some people who argue that it’s better to pull the tooth because root canals are a temporary fix. Based on what we told you about how and why a root canal works do you really think that’s true? A root canal removes the infected tissue, cleans out tooth decay bacteria, and seals your tooth safely under a crown so that it’s protected from further harm.

Root canals are permanent solutions that leave you with your natural tooth. We always want to preserve a tooth instead of pulling one – it’s far better for your long-term oral health!

Myth #4: You Only Need A Root Canal If You’re In Pain

Because of their association with pain it might seem like root canals are only necessary when you hurt, but that’s not true at all! A regular dental exam can detect cavities and determine when tooth decay has reached the dental pulp. That’s the exact time you need a root canal, pain or no!

It’s common for patients with infected dental pulp to be in pain but it’s not universal! Cavities that reach the dental pulp can cause infection and decay without causing pain. The pain is usually a sign that things have reached a critical point but root canals can still be necessary well before that!

Don’t Avoid Treatment!

A root canal can be the difference between pain and dental restoration and a healthy, happy smile. If you’re concerned that you might have a seriously decayed tooth don’t put off treatment because you’re scared! Call our Indianapolis dentist office to schedule an appointment today!

You can reach us at 317-597-8748 or by filling out our online appointment request form. We look forward to helping you!