Debunking the Myths You’ve Heard About Root Canals

Most people would lump a root canal in with other joyful tasks like visiting the DMV or spending the day with their mother-in-law. The truth is, most of the information swirling around either online or by word-of-mouth is bogus and has been spread as misinformed legends and myths. In this post, we’ll lay out some of the more common misconceptions and tell you why the procedure is no big deal.

Root Canals Are Incredibly Painful

Root canals are supposed to relieve your pain, not create more! The point of the procedure is to remove the source of the pain caused by decay that has reached the root of a tooth and caused an infection.

Fortunately, modern dentistry advancements, plus the availability of better local anesthetics like lidocaine and Novocain, have made root canals as simple and painless as having a cavity filled.  

I Don’t Need a Root Canal if I’m Not in Pain

Sometimes, a tooth that is not causing pain still needs to be treated to remove or avoid an infection of diseased pulp. The procedure not only benefits the one tooth but the surrounding ones as well, as infection can spread from one to another.

Root Canals Can Cause Cancer and Disease

The lore surrounding this claim can be traced back a century ago to a man named Dr. Weston A. Price, who believed that extracting teeth was the only way to rid the body of the bacteria that cause tooth decay and that keeping a tooth that was once infected could lead to the development of cancer and other diseases.

In 2013, the American Medical Association stated that the risk of cancer does not increase after a root canal. Today, we now know that there is no valid scientific evidence linking root canal treatments with sickness or disease anywhere else in the body.

Extracting a Tooth is Better Than Root Canal Treatment

While removing a tooth is sometimes necessary, it can easily be avoided with a root canal. Saving your natural teeth is most often the best option for several reasons:

• Root canals are generally less expensive than tooth extraction and the installation of bridges or implants.
• Root canal treatment is very successful, with treated teeth often lasting a lifetime.
• Bridges or implants take more time in treatment and may present issues to surrounding teeth.
• Extraction will often result in the neighboring teeth shifting into the missing space, causing issues with your bite.

Don’t believe myths circulating about this treatment! Thanks to modern medicine, root canals are virtually pain-free, and they are designed to be helpful, not destructive.

About the Practice

The team of professionals at EPO Dental Specialists can ensure your root canal treatment is a positive experience. Dr. Javier Ortiz has the knowledge acquired through his endodontic specialty residency program to handle complex root canal treatments and retreatments. Have anxiety about the procedure? The practice also offers sedation dentistry to put your mind at ease while they restore your oral health. Schedule a virtual consultation with them online or call the office at (972) 479-1200.