Root Canal Myths That Keep You in Pain
Root canals have a terrible reputation that hasn’t caught up with reality. Most people still picture the horror stories their grandparents told about the days before effective anesthesia. Meanwhile, today’s root canal technology has advanced so much that most patients compare the experience to getting a filling, just one that takes longer. Read on to learn more.
What Happens During a Root Canal
A root canal treats infection or inflammation inside your tooth by removing the damaged nerve tissue, cleaning out the space, and sealing it back up. The tooth stays in your mouth and keeps functioning normally. Think of it like treating an infected cut: you clean out the bad stuff, disinfect it, and let it heal rather than amputating the finger.
The nerve inside your tooth can become infected from deep decay, a crack that lets bacteria in, or trauma from an injury. Once bacteria reach the nerve, you get pain that ranges from dull aching to sharp jolts when you bite down. That infected tissue needs to come out, and a root canal is how we remove it while saving the tooth. Your natural tooth root stays in place, which keeps your jawbone healthy and maintains your bite alignment.
Myth 1: Root Canals Hurt A Lot
This myth survives because dental anesthesia used to be inconsistent, and root canal techniques were crude. Back teeth especially were hard to numb completely, so people genuinely suffered through the procedure. Now, we have better anesthetics and precise application techniques that numb the entire area reliably.
The actual procedure feels like nothing once you’re numb. You’ll feel pressure as we work, and you’ll hear some sounds, but there will be no pain. Most of the discomfort happens before the root canal when your tooth is infected and throbbing. After we remove that infected tissue, the relief is usually immediate.
Myth 2: Better to Pull the Tooth
Pulling a tooth seems simpler until you consider the consequences. The teeth on either side start drifting into the empty space within a few months. The tooth above or below the gap begins moving too because it has nothing to chew against anymore. This shifting throws off your bite and can create jaw pain or uneven wear on other teeth.
Your jawbone also shrinks where the tooth used to be because it’s no longer getting the pressure stimulation from chewing. This bone loss changes your facial structure slightly over years and makes future tooth replacement harder.
Myth 3: Root Canals Only Last a Few Years
A properly treated tooth can stay healthy for the rest of your life. The root canal success rate sits between 85% and 97%, depending on which tooth we treat and how quickly you get it crowned afterward. Front teeth generally do better than molars because they handle less chewing force.
The tooth becomes more brittle after root canal treatment because we’ve removed the internal tissue and blood supply. That’s why we normally recommend crowning it afterward, especially for back teeth that take heavy chewing pressure. The crown acts like a helmet, protecting the remaining tooth structure from cracking when you bite. Skip the crown, and your tooth might fracture within a year or two, which often means extraction.
Modern Techniques Make the Difference
Root canals used to require three or four appointments because dentists could only work on one root at a time with manual instruments. Now, we typically finish everything in one 90-minute visit using rotary instruments that clean the canals faster and more completely. You leave with a temporary filling and come back in two weeks for your permanent crown. The temporary filling protects the tooth until your permanent restoration is ready.
Benefits you’ll notice after treatment:
- No more waking up at 3 a.m. with throbbing tooth pain that ibuprofen barely touches
- Ability to chew on that side of your mouth again without wincing
- No sensitivity to hot coffee or cold ice cream on that tooth
- Keeping your natural tooth instead of dealing with implant surgery or bridge preparation
- Preserving your jawbone and preventing neighboring teeth from shifting
Get Treatment Before It Becomes Urgent
Schedule an evaluation with us at our office located in Meridian, ID if you have persistent tooth pain, sensitivity that lingers after the hot or cold stimulus is gone, or swelling near a tooth. Waiting turns a straightforward root canal into a more complicated situation if the infection spreads. Early treatment means better outcomes and usually less discomfort overall. Call us for more information and to schedule your appointment today.
