The Biggest Myths About Root Canal Treatment

1. Myth 1: Root Canal Treatment is Painful: With modern technology for diagnosis, excellent anaesthesia and treatment modalities, root canal treatment is no more painful than a simple filling. The procedure relieves the pain and swelling of an infected tooth.
2. Myth 2: Root Canals Cause Illness: The internet is full of misinformation about many things – and dentistry is no exception. There are still some websites where claims are made that a tooth that receives root canal treatment cause numerous illnesses and diseases. This myth is based on poor research performed almost a century ago and has since been found to be flawed. In fact, root canal treatment is safe and effective – with the sole aim to eliminate bacteria from the infected roots of teeth – it can also improve your oral health and restore good function to damaged teeth.
3. Myth 3: You Only Need a Root Canal if You Are Experiencing a Toothache: Pain can be an indicator, but in some cases, nerves in damaged teeth can die slowly over a long period, desensitising it from further insults such as hot/cold stimuli – therefore, there may be no pain. The first time it is detected might be on a routine X-ray – so do ensure you book a regular check-up with us so we can keep a close eye on your dental health. If necessary, your teeth will be investigated with multiple specialised tests and relevant 2-D or 3-D CT scans. If the infection is left untreated, there is a risk of a flare-up, and if you develop an abscess, it could affect your general health and, in some cases, be life-threatening.
4. Myth 4: It is Better to Pull a Tooth Than to Keep It: Keeping your natural tooth, if possible, is far better than any other option. We aim to save your natural teeth for as long as possible. There are cases when your tooth may be beyond repair or heavily fractured, but, in most cases, we can save your tooth with root canal treatment, root canal re-treatment or surgery. A well-carried-out root canal treatment has a high success rate, and many root canal-treated teeth can last a lifetime.

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