Is root canal painful? The thought of having a root canal may make you feel fearful or uneasy if you are not familiar with the treatment. There are common misconceptions that root canal treatment causes pain or illness and should be avoided. The exact opposite is true. Endodontic treatment is done to relieve pain and treat infection (illness) inside the tooth, improving both your oral health and your overall health.
Root canal is painful.
Ages ago that may have been the case. But with innovations in dental technology and use of anesthetics you will not experience any more discomfort than if you went to have a cavity filled. Severe toothache is often caused by damaged tissues inside the tooth. This pain can be easily relieved when an endodontist removes infected damaged tissue through root canal treatment. Endodontists are experts in diagnosing and treating tooth-related pain. In a recent survey, patients who have experienced root canal treatment were six more times likely to describe it as “painless” than those who have not had root canal treatment.
Root canal treatment causes illness.
Information that can be found on line or elsewhere, claiming that if you have a root canal procedure you are more likely to become ill or contract a disease in the future, is simply not true. This false claim was based on long-debunked and erroneous research conducted almost a century ago. Long before modern medicine understood the reasons for many diseases. There is no compelling scientific evidence linking root canal treatment to disease elsewhere in the body. Not only are root canals safe and effective, they eliminate bacteria from the infected roots of teeth, improving both your oral health and your overall health.
A good alternative to root canal treatment is extraction.
Nothing feels or functions as good as your natural tooth. If you are having pain and think the tooth should be extracted, ask your dentist if root canal treatment is a viable option. Once the tooth is pulled, it has to be replaced to maintain a healthy bite. It is virtually impossible to replicate the look and feel of a natural tooth with a denture, bridge, or dental implant. Root canal therapy is a cost-effective way to maintain good oral health. Even though it seems like tooth extraction is a cheaper alternative, the cost of replacing the extracted tooth often outweighs the cost of a root canal and a crown. Endodontic treatment carries a very high success rate with many root canal-treated teeth lasting a lifetime.
Millions of healthy endodontically treated teeth serve patients all over the world, years and years after the treatment. Those healthy teeth are helping patients chew efficiently, maintain the natural appearance of their smiles and enhance their quality of life.
The benefits of root canal therapy are temporary.
Root canal results are long-lasting. They relieve patients’ toothaches and preserve the affected tooth indefinitely. The final restoration or crown is the key to successful results. A well-made and well-fit crown combined with good at-home oral health practices can ensure that your tooth lasts a lifetime.
You only need a root canal if you are experiencing tooth pain.
Sometimes teeth that have died no longer cause pain and need to have a root canal in order to avoid becoming infected. Your endodontist will preform several tests, including temperature testing and percussion testing, to determine if the tooth has died and needs to receive a root canal treatment.
Are you experiencing a severe toothache?
Call us to schedule a consultation with Endodontic Specialist.
We hope that our website helps answer your questions regarding endodontic dental care. However, please feel free to contact us if something is left unclear Lutherville-Timonium 410-821-5553, Bel Air Office 410-836-7800.