Myth Busting the Most Common Myths about Root Canal Therapy

Surveys reveal that most patients fear going to the dentist because they are afraid of rot canal therapy. This kind of fear is based on someone else’s experiences, and thus, myths about root canal therapy have not ceased to appear. Because of their insecurity regarding root canal therapy combined with the lack of information, many patients prefer extractions instead of saving their teeth or molars with a root canal. But before jumping into conclusions about how a root canal procedure really is, there has to be some light brought into the “root canal mythology”. Myth No 1: Root canal interventions are painful Pulpitis, a slowly necrotizing nerve or broken teeth all require root canal interventions because the injury, of whatever kind it may be, causes pain. The psychological image of a painful root canal intervention is a reminiscence of previous methods of alleviate tooth ache. But, from the early ages of stomatology, technology has come a long way and such suppositions are no longer entitled to be associated with root canal therapy. Thus, root canal therapy itself is NOT painful,; it is used to rid the pain. Myth No 2: Root canal therapy is only necessary after teeth begin to hurt Truth be told, teeth that hurt require immediate root canal treatment, but this is not a singular case. Already dead teeth, for instance, require such therapy to prevent infections. During a regular checkup, the dentist performs several tests to determine whether a tooth is healthy, dead or going to die. Tests include percussion testing, pulp vitality machine and temperature testing. Myth No 3: It takes many appointments to complete a root canal treatment In reality, it generally takes one or two appointments to complete a root canal treatment. However, tooth restoration that follows the root canal therapy may take a few more appointments. The dentist is the one who establishes appointments according to the difficulty of the root canal and the gravity of the infection. At times, the opinion of an endodontist is required, but that does not take much time either. Myth No 4: Root canal therapy is a short term alleviation This often occurs in the minds of patients who break their teeth months after root canal interventions have been made. Once the nerve is removed, the tooth does not get any more blood, and its color turns into brittle. The pressure put on the tooth while eating, grinding and even verbalizing cause the tooth to eventually break, but this has nothing to do with root canal treatment.