• “Get to the root of your tooth pain”

Modern dentistry has come a long way and your dentist will always strive to preserve your natural tooth. Root canal therapy is a procedure to save your natural tooth and relieve you of your pain. We’re sure when you hear the words ‘Root Canal therapy’, it leaves you with worry and anxiety. It might even make you quiver. Let us help you put your mind at ease by answering a few of your questions. Here are a few myths and facts about root canal therapy.

• “What is root canal therapy?”

Root canal therapy is a procedure that treats the infection caused by bacteria and helps you save your natural tooth. The pulp (infected portion) or the ‘living part’ of your tooth is removed, cleaned and shaped and then finally, replaced with a rubber-like material called ‘gutta –percha’. With proper oral hygiene and care, a root canal treated tooth and last a lifetime. This is how a tooth looks before and after a root canal treatment

• Few signs you might need a root canal:
• “Why can’t I just extract the tooth?”

Extraction of the tooth will lead you to get fixed for a prosthesis, which in turn will require you to visit the dentist multiple times when compared to a root canal treatment. There is no better substitute than your natural tooth. Saving your tooth is always the better option.

• “Root canal therapies are painful”

Actually, a root canal therapy helps you get rid of the very pain you go to the dentist for. Painful treatments were the case years ago but, with the help of anesthesia, the area around the tooth is numbed. So, the procedure is relatively painless. The pain that people fear is often brought about the fact that pain is already there.

• “Can I take medications instead of getting a root canal treatment?”

You can’t take medications instead of going through the procedure. The medications can take care of your pain for just 3-6 hours, but the source of your pain is still going to be there. Until the source of your infection is treated, you’re never going to be completely relieved of your pain.

• “I am not in any pain, why do I still need a root canal?”

The root canal is done when the extent of the infection has reached your pulp i.e., ‘the living part’ of the tooth. Pain does not need to be a factor always when it comes to getting a root canal therapy. Some might need root canal therapy even when pain isn’t there. The longer you postpone the treatment because you aren’t in pain, the more you risk saving your natural teeth.

• “Root canals require multiple visits to the dentist”

It all depends on the severity of your infection. Lesser the damage, fewer the appointments. If the damage to your teeth due to infection is extensive, it will require you to visit multiple times. Most of the root canals can be completed in an hour. If the tooth in question is heavily infected, only then would you be required to visit your dentist a few times.

• “Root canal treatment leads to other illnesses”

There are quite a few crazy internet articles floating around. Let us put your mind at ease. This theory has been long debunked. There’s no valid, scientific proof linking a root canal therapy to systemic disease.

• “Can I get a filling done instead of a root canal therapy?”

Getting a filling done instead of a root canal therapy is only a waste of your time and money. A filling is done when the damage to your tooth due to an infection is minimal. Once the damage reached the pulp, it is quite necessary to get a root canal treatment done.

• “Can I expect the pain to go away immediately after a root canal treatment?”

The pain will decrease substantially, but not completely after the treatment. It will take from a few days to a few weeks for it to be completely gone. It all depends on your tooth’s healing process. Pain after the treatment can be managed with a few over-the-counter medications.