Four Root Canal Myths
You’ve heard all about it—the dreaded root canal. You spend every minute in the dental exam chair hoping your dentist won’t recommend that you have one. Maybe you need root canal treatment, but are sweating bullets just thinking about scheduling the appointment. Have you ever stopped to consider why you’re so afraid of having a routine dental surgery?
More than likely, you’ve been fed at least one myth about root canals. It’s time to clear things up and conquer your fears. We debunks four popular root canal myths.
Myth #1. Having root canal surgery will hurt
The number one fear of people who need to have root canal surgery is that the procedure will be painful, and unfortunately, this fear is enough to make them avoid seeking treatment. However, the procedure actually relieves the pain caused by a damaged root canal. The advancement of technology and anesthetics has made root canal surgery virtually pain free.
Myth #2. You’ll be more susceptible to illnesses if I recieve root canal surgery.
This myth surfaced sometime in the 1920s, back before we understood a lot of the medical concepts that we take for common knowledge now. To put it into perspective for you, there were still some doctors using leeches to rid patients of infection, and hospitals had only recently mandated that surgeons wash their hands before cutting people open. This myth was simply the result of one doctor’s speculation, and it was largely discredited by the 1930s. The truth is, there is no medical evidence to suggest that root canal surgery makes anyone more susceptible to disease in any other part of the body.
Myth #3. You’re better just pulling the tooth.
Nope. You’re always better off to retain as much of your natural tooth as you possible can. Though dentistry has come a long way in terms of prosthetic tooth restoration, nothing can replicate your teeth exactly. It usually ends up being a lot cheaper to keep your teeth, too.
Myth #4. If you’re not in pain, skip the surgery.
Everyone has different thresholds of pain. What might be tolerable to you might actually be a serious condition that threatens to wipe out a number of your natural teeth if you don’t seek treatment. If you need to be reminded of why losing your teeth is bad, see #3 again. Furthermore, root canal surgery is meant to stave off the pain caused by infection. Receiving treatment early can mean that you’ll save yourself a lot of pain in the long run.
To learn more about root canal surgery and dentistry in the Nashua, NH area, call (603) 883-6010 today!
