We utter the word “ouch!” when we even think about having a root canal. Root canal is not as dreadful as we think. Check out the following root canal myths, and decide for yourself:
1. Root canals are very painful: A common myth people have is that the procedure of root canal is very painful. This might be true decades back, but now due to the advancement of science and technology, local anesthesia is very effective. For this reason, the root canal treatments are performed causing minimal pain to the patient – normally the pain is not more than that of having a filling.
2. Root canal treatments require frequent dental visits: Due to advanced dental techniques, root canals can be easily carried out in a single visit. In many instances, not more than two visits complete the whole root canal procedure.
3. Crowning eventually leads to Root canals: There may be instances when a crowned tooth needs root canal treatment; however, this only happens when the crowned tooth has decayed to an extent that it has effected the tooth pulp. In other instances, crowns do not end up in having a root canal therapy.
4. Root canal treatments lead to a week immune system: Among some people, it is a common misconception that the people who have had a root canal therapy in the past are more likely to fall ill than those who have not undergone any such treatment. There is no scientific evidence proving this myth. It is observed that people who have, and those who have not had the therapy, all have equal probability of falling ill.
5. Root canals remove the roots of the tooth: Root canal treatments do not end up in removal of the tooth roots. The dentist only removes the pulp that is present inside the tooth; the roots of the tooth are not removed.
6. Women should avoid having Root canals during pregnancy: Pregnant women can undergo the root canal procedure without any hesitation. The reason for this is that root canal involves a minor x-ray of the mouth, and no other exposure to the harmful radiation rays. However, if you are having root canals procedure during pregnancy, make sure you inform your dentist beforehand so that your dentist can be extra careful with the x-ray.
7. If you do not feel any pain in your tooth, avoid having Root canal: In most of the cases, root canal procedure is done on teeth that suffer a throbbing ache. However, there are instances when a tooth requires root canal but do not show any symptom of pain. This is the reason why dentists recommend regular checkups even for people with healthy teeth.
8. Root canal permanently restores our tooth: Once the root canal procedure is performed on your tooth, you need to make a follow-up appointment with your dentist as soon as possible in order to make sure that your tooth has been successfully restored. When the dentist removes the pulp of your tooth, your tooth becomes dry and if it is not permanently restored, it may result in having a fracture.
