Root canal myths and facts: what is true?

Few dental treatments carry as many fears as the root canal. Here are the common ones, answered plainly. For how the treatment works, see root canal treatment explained.

“It is a very painful treatment”

The tooth is numbed with a local anaesthetic before the treatment, so you should not feel it as sharp pain. You may feel pressure and vibration, and some people feel tender for a few days afterwards. The pain most people remember comes from the infected tooth before treatment, not from the treatment itself. If you feel pain during the visit, say so. The dentist can stop and numb the area more.

“It makes you ill”

You may have heard that a root canal causes illness elsewhere in the body. This idea comes from a theory more than a hundred years old, and current evidence does not support it. An infected tooth that is left alone is the bigger concern, because infection can spread. If you have a specific health condition and are worried, tell your dentist and doctor.

“It is simpler to take the tooth out”

Taking the tooth out is sometimes the right answer, when the tooth is too damaged to repair. But where a tooth can be saved, keeping your own tooth is usually the first choice. A missing tooth leaves a gap that can cause neighbouring teeth to drift and makes chewing harder, and replacing it with a denture, bridge or implant is a larger step. Your dentist will explain what is possible for your tooth.

“If it does not hurt, I do not need it”

Not always. An infection inside a tooth can go quiet and still be there. Some teeth that need treatment cause no pain, and the problem shows up on an X-ray or as a small bump on the gum. A tooth that has stopped hurting after a long period of pain has not necessarily healed. Come in and have it checked.

“After a root canal the tooth is safe for life”

A treated tooth can still get new decay or crack. It usually needs a crown, and it still needs brushing, cleaning between teeth and regular check-ups. See crowns after a root canal.

“It always needs many visits”

Some teeth are finished in one visit and some need more. It depends on the tooth, the number of roots and whether there is an infection. Your dentist can tell you after looking at the X-ray.

When to see a dentist

Come in for a lingering toothache, pain on biting, a gum bump or swelling. Same-day help is needed if swelling spreads to the face, eye or neck, or if you have fever or trouble swallowing or breathing. Read toothache: what to do before your appointment.

Root canal treatment is available at both our clinics, in Sayan and on Chhaprabhatha-Variyav Road. Use the booking button below to ask for an appointment.