Root canals, by their very nature, make people uneasy. There’s this general image in people’s heads when they hear the phrase that makes them think of long, painful procedures, long-term inconvenience afterwards, and other unpleasantness. However, many of these misconceptions are completely off-base, whether it be things that used to be true but now aren’t, or simple misinformation. If you have some hesitance towards getting a root canal in Summerville SC, here are three of the biggest myths that you have nothing to worry about.
#1. The treatment is painful
When the treatment first started being used regularly, this likely was the case, and is probably the source of this myth. But it has become a myth, make no mistake. Anesthesia being regularly available to the medical world has made the majority of once painful dental procedures completely pain free. While there may be a bit of aching afterwards, this is rare and won’t last for very long.
#2. Root canals can make you sick
This myth began over a century ago, and was frankly poorly researched and badly executed. But this was before the internet, and thus before mass fact checking, so it caught fire all the same. Make no mistake, though, this is a myth that is objectively untrue. Especially today, with advanced means of sanitizing dental hardware and tools. Dentistry has never been cleaner than it has become today. The idea that you can become sick because of a dental procedure is flat out ludicrous.
#3. Tooth extraction is better
Tooth extraction and root canal treatment accomplish the same basic goal: handling an infected or inflamed part of the tooth. But whereas with a root canal, you get to keep the tooth afterwards, extracting the tooth leaves you one tooth short. On top of that it’s simply the more cost-effective option to get a root canal. If you extract a tooth but still want a full set, that means you need a bridge or implant. That’s another couple of dentist appointments to perform the procedure, make sure the jawbone is acclimating properly, and checking the adjustment rate of the neighboring teeth etc. which results in hundreds, if not thousands more dollars spent. As opposed to getting a root canal, maybe going in for a checkup a few days later, and being done with it.
Root canals are always going to make people uneasy. If only because nobody finds the idea of someone coming into their mouths with a knife very comforting. However, some aspects of people’s perception of the treatment are simply untrue. So if you need a root canal, hopefully this helped to assuage any fears you have.
