Modern Root Canals are Pain-Free, Safe, and Essential

The word “root canal” often makes people uneasy and fearful. This is particularly true for those who are unaware of the strides modern dentistry has made. The mere mention of the term evokes images of discomfort and pain. For ordinary people, root canal treatment is shrouded in misconceptions and myths contributing to these anxieties. Surveys reveal that more than 3/4 of adults feel anxiety and fear while facing dental procedures. While one-fifth report that fears and anxieties affect their willingness to see dental care. Surprisingly, millions of root canal procedures are successfully performed across the globe, making it one of the most commonly performed dental treatments. Take the time to read this blog, where we try to dispel some of those myths and provide a clear understanding of what a root canal truly entails.

Pain Management in Root Canal Treatment

One of the most common myths is root canal treatment is very painful. There is undoubtedly an element of truth behind this, as this used to happen in earlier times. Today, we have modern anesthetics and technology that don’t cause such discomfort or pain. Terrible tooth pain generally caused by damaged tissues inside the tooth can be easily fixed by modern-day endodontists. After treatment, pain management has become easy and can be handled very comfortably in most cases. It is also a prevalent myth that a root canal removes the tooth’s root. The truth is root canal treatment’s purpose is to preserve the natural tooth by removing damaged soft tissue inside the tooth while leaving the roots as they are.

Root Canal-Disease Link Myth

Pseudo-scientific websites often claim that root canal treatment can cause other diseases. This belief that you will become ill after root canal treatment is false. This myth has been prevalent for over a century when a poorly conducted study was done. It was when modern medicine was yet to realize the actual causes of many of the diseases. Modern medicine has made much progress so we can confidently conclude that there is no scientifically valid reason or evidence linking root canal treatment to any disease anywhere in the body. Patients undergoing root canal treatment have less risks of many other oral diseases.

Root Canals or Extractions?

People also believe removing a tooth altogether is better than having a root canal treatment. This is false! Protecting your nature-endowed tooth is always the best possible course of action, as nothing man-made could bring back the functionality and aesthetics of the original tooth. Endodontic procedures such as root canal treatment have an overwhelmingly high degree of success; most procedures last a lifetime. Also, replacing extracted teeth with implants or bridges is relatively complex and takes longer. However, when a tooth is badly damaged and the decay is beyond recovery, a root canal treatment cannot resolve it. As such, tooth extraction and replacement is the way to go.

Root canal treatment is not as scary as you think! Learn the facts and clear up any doubts about this dental procedure. Contact New Smile Dental Group to learn more and book an appointment with our friendly Surrey dentists.