Do You Need a Root Canal?

For many people who worry about dental treatment, the mere mention of the words "root canal" can provoke reactions of fear and distress. However the procedure sounds a lot worse than it is, and while it is a slightly involved process, it is one that dentists are well versed in and necessary if you want a healthy and happy smile.

Dentists opt for a root canal treatment of your tooth after the nerve from the soft pulp centre of your tooth becomes diseased. If the dentist does nothing, this tooth can then rot from the inside out, destroying the tooth beyond repair, and sometimes impacting neighboring teeth. You may be unaware that there is a problem as, while sometimes you experience acute pain when it is infected, other times the nerve can die without pain being present. If the nerve has died then the dentist needs to remove the nerve and the inside parts of you tooth, clean it out and fill the space with a safe filler.

While pain is not always present, pain can indicate you do need to have your tooth looked at. If you notice a tooth is particularly sensitive to hot or cold temperatures when eating or if you feel any pain when biting or chewing it's a good idea to get it looked at. Any swelling, acute pain, throbbing or discovering the tooth has become discolored, are further important issues to investigate.

It can be tempting to try to ignore a possible root canal treatment, in the hope that it will all just go away. In fact many people do ignore a short burst of acute pain, when this may have signaled internal teeth issues only a dentist can diagnose.

Root Canals: Fact vs Myth

There are several root canal myths to be dispelled in society as follows;

• A root canal is painful. This common myth has its roots from ancient days where the procedure was done using non-advanced methods unlike today. This has been highlighted by the American Association of Endodontists. The administration of general anesthesia will numb the area and the procedure will be painless.

• Another common myth is that all root canals must be done in several appointments. This is not the case because the procedure can be completed in one or two appointments. However, there are several factors that will dictate the number of appointments including;

a) Need for referral
b) Tough root canal
c) Extent of infection

Let your dentist recommend the number of appointments after having considered your case.

• Another common myth is that a root canal treatment can cause illness such as arthritis, heart and kidney disease. Research has shown this NOT to be the case. This myth has sprouted from research done almost 100 years ago by Dr. Weston Price. In his research of 1910 to 1930, Dr. Price claimed that illness can emanate from the procedure due to infections. His claims have been refuted by modern research because there is no medical evidence to prove the same.

• Another common myth is that a tooth has to hurt to qualify for root canal. Dentists can discover teeth that are dead and recommend the treatment however painless. Therefore, screening to check the status of the tooth by the doctor is advised. Tests that are employed to check dead teeth include;