The routine root canal is feared more than any other type of dental procedure. The words alone are enough to send shivers up the spine of a grown adult. Every year, thousands of people who desperately need a root canal to fix serious cavities or alleviate severe toothache choose to avoid them altogether. Put your mind at ease as we dispel five common myths about root canals.
5. It’s very painful.
FALSE: Most individuals think that a root canal is a very painful treatment. But with the advancement of dentistry and dental technologies, root canal procedures have considerably changed.
The procedure is not the problem, because what hurts is nothing but your expectations. Decades ago that may have been the case, but with modern technology and anesthetics, you won’t experience any more pain than if you went to have a cavity filled. The pain from a severe toothache, often caused by damaged tissues in the tooth, can be easily remedied when an endodontist removes the damaged tissue through root canal treatment. In addition, endodontists are experts in pain management, and most cases can be treated quickly and comfortably.
4. A root canal removes the pain immediately after the procedure.
FALSE: After a root canal, the patient will feel significant improvement. However, it is normal for the tooth to be sensitive the first few days after treatment and the use of pain killers can help. Mild pain can be followed, especially while chewing, and it can last a few weeks. The pain should disappear completely however after that time.
Is it possible not to feel any pain at all after a root canal procedure?
Yes, it’s possible. It depends on how complicated the treatment was and if the tooth was infected before treatment.
3. Root canal treatment is not effective.
FALSE: When patients come in for a root canal, they are usually in a lot of discomforts due to the infection in their tooth. Once the freezing is in place, the patient will feel immediate relief from the pain and should return to normal once the treatment is done. If left untreated, an infected tooth root will cause far more discomfort than a root canal ever will.
A root canal cleans and disinfects the inside of the tooth to allow it to heal; it does not kill a tooth. The nerves and the blood vessels located in the pulp chamber serve for the development of a tooth when a person is a child or a teenager.
Later in life, the nerve’s function is to cause pain when something is wrong with the tooth, whether it’s decay, infection, inflammation, or trauma. Pain is therefore a defense mechanism that alarms a person to seek help.
2. Root canal treatment is a lengthy process that requires several appointments.
FALSE:
Today, root canal treatment may take between one and two hours if there are no complications. The number of appointments often depends on the condition of the tooth, and the number of canals it has.
In cases where pulp infection is severe, your endodontist may place a drug inside to help disinfect the interior of the roots, and then finish the root canal treatment a few days later. But if there is no infection or no complications, the procedure can be completed in one single appointment.
1. A Root canal treatment is a costly treatment.
FALSE: In the US the cost for a root canal on a front tooth costs around $500.
A molar, however, costs around $900. A build-up and dental crown would not be included in the fee and this ranges from $1,000 – $1,500.
The total cost of root canal treatment in the US could cost as much as $2,500.
In Tijuana, treatment costs start from $225 without a crown, and around $525 complete with a crown. There’s no excuse to bring back a healthy smile within safe hands with our quality-checked dentist and affordable prices in Tijuana
