Root canal therapy in Bowmanville has developed an unfair reputation, often because people imagine it is very unpleasant. The truth is somewhat different.
What Is Root Canal Therapy?
You may need root canal treatment if a tooth is severely infected. The infection is in the dental pulp, right in the centre of the tooth. This is a collection of soft tissues, including nerves, connective tissues, and blood vessels, and extends into the root canals in your tooth roots.
All these tissues must be thoroughly removed, and the root canals are cleaned and reshaped with special files before the tooth is permanently sealed.
If our dentist at West Bowmanville Family Dental recommends root canal treatment, there is no need to feel apprehensive or scared. Below are some of the most common myths surrounding this procedure, and the facts.
Myth 1: Root Canal Therapy is Painful
Fact: Root Canal Therapy Helps Relieve Pain Quickly
It’s not unusual to be in severe pain before you have a root canal in Newcastle, and perhaps this is why people think root canal therapy is a painful process. The truth is that treatment should relieve this pain quickly.
Symptoms that you need a root canal include a severe toothache that can be continual or present when you bite down, tooth sensitivity and gum inflammation and pain.
Local anesthetic is administered comfortably, and we can numb your gums before the injection. When you receive root canal therapy, we make sure your tooth is completely numb before we begin, allowing plenty of time for the anesthetic to take full effect.
During your treatment, we check on you frequently to ensure you remain comfortable and pain-free.
Myth 2: Your Tooth Roots Are Removed during Root Canal Therapy
Fact: Tooth Roots Remain Intact during Root Canal Therapy
It’s easy to understand why this myth may have arisen, as the root canals in your teeth are cleaned, but your tooth roots remain fully intact, so they can continue anchoring the tooth in your jawbone afterward.
During treatment, the root canals in your tooth are cleaned and fully disinfected. This is because the tissue in the root canals is infected and inflamed, and must be removed to eliminate the infection.
Myth 3: Root Canal Treatment Can Affect Your General Health
Fact: Root Canal Therapy Helps Protect Overall Health
Many years ago, some people thought that root canal therapy could cause illness, but this was based on outdated research and a very limited understanding of infection.
Nowadays, we know that leaving an infection untreated can negatively impact overall health. For example, an infected tooth can develop into a dental abscess in Clarington without treatment.
A dental abscess in Clarington can become a very serious condition, as the bacteria causing it can spread to other parts of the body and even enter the brain. On rare occasions, it can become life-threatening.
In contrast, treating the infection promptly helps protect your overall health by eliminating it.
Myth 4: If a Tooth Stops Hurting, It Doesn’t Need Root Canal Therapy
Fact: A Tooth Infection Cannot Clear up on Its Own
Toothache is a nasty business, so it’s a relief when a tooth stops hurting, and you might be tempted to think the tooth is now perfectly okay. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case, and it’s more likely that the tooth’s nerve has died. The infection, however, will remain and still needs professional dental treatment in Courtice to be properly removed.
Modern root canal therapy is highly effective. It can protect and preserve the tooth, allowing it to last for many years. It’s far better than the alternative: extracting the tooth completely. We only recommend tooth extraction as a last resort.