When it comes to dental tools, root canal therapy is one of the most effective and common, with more than 15 million performed annually in the United States.
Despite its frequency, root canal therapy still has a bad reputation — a reputation that is unwarranted and misguided, given that the procedure promotes great dental health.
To set the record straight, we turn to the Ideal Dental of Tucson team, led by Dr. Lissette Ruiz and Dr. Dallin Williams. Based on our many years of experience with root canal procedures, we outline below five common myths that we’ve encountered and want to correct.
This first myth is a common one and couldn’t be further from the truth. When you have a root canal issue, it means that there’s an infection in the inside of the roots of your tooth, which can lead to considerable pain, especially as the infection progresses.
During a root canal procedure, we clean out the infection, disinfect the root canals, and then fill them with a substance that resists infection in the future. Not only is root canal therapy protective, but it also resolves the pain most people feel during an infection.
Not to mention, we use a local anesthetic during this procedure so you won’t feel a thing.
A root canal infection means that harmful bacteria have made their way inside the root system of your tooth, where they wreak havoc until stopped. The best way to prevent these bacteria from damaging the tooth further is through root canal therapy.
If you leave a root canal infection untreated, not only won’t it heal on its own, it can progress and threaten the entire tooth, as well as nearby hard and soft tissues.
When we perform root canal therapy, we need to gain access to your roots, which we do through the crown. Often, this work will compromise the crown, which is why we cap it with a replacement crown.
This loss, however, only occurs above the gumline. Thanks to root canal therapy, your tooth remains anchored solidly in your jawbone by the roots, meaning that your tooth remains viable and can continue to perform its duties into the future.
Some people think that it’s better to remove a tooth with a root canal infection, and this isn’t the case. When you lose a tooth and its roots, you can experience bone loss in your jaw that can affect the stability of neighboring teeth.
It’s in your best interest to do what you can to preserve your natural teeth, and root canal therapy is one of the best ways to accomplish this.
Root canal therapy is VERY good at what it does — relieve pain and preserve your tooth. In fact, root canal therapy boasts an impressive 95% success rate.
As you can see, there’s much to appreciate about root canal therapy, which is why it’s one of the busiest workhorses at our practice.
If you have more questions about root canal therapy or you suspect you have a brewing infection, please don’t hesitate to schedule an appointment today with the Ideal Dental of Tucson team in Tucson, Arizona. You can call the office at 505-405-3495 or use the online booking tool.
