The Root Canal Myth: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dentist

If you suffer from a tooth that needs a root canal, you probably know that it can be one of the most talked about and feared procedures in dentistry. People tend to talk about root canals and all of the painful feelings that can occur during the procedure. It would seem that most people who has ever had nerve treatment or a root canal done, has had a grim story about it. These assertions behind root canals are simply not true.

The root canal procedure and pain are often taken out of proportion. You would experience more pain getting a tooth pulled than getting a root canal done. Dentists overtime have made the procedure very easy for patients and they now experience very little to no discomfort at all.

Take it from someone who has had 3 root canals done due to nerve damage in the teeth. Sure it’s not something you want to go through, but it’s something that has to be done. The cost behind a root canal and crown are what you should be more scared about.

The cost alone can reach upwards of around $1000 in total. Trying to avoid having a root canal requires you to pay attention to your teeth. The root canal procedure requires the dentist to drill into the inner portion of the tooth where the nerve is. He or she then cleans the nerves out and makes sure everything is intact, then refills the tooth. You will then need a more secure over the tooth later on, which is called a crown.

A root canal procedure often is required to save a tooth that has been infected with bacteria in the nerve or the nerves are deteriorating. Other times a root canal is required when the tooth has sustained trauma and has caused the nerves to die out.

Trauma could be from anything, but in most cases it is caused from eating and getting the tooth chipped or dislodged. If this happens then they just place posts in the root area so that it can retain it’s structure and quite often the nerves are damaged as well so they focus on those too. Sometimes the damage is so severe that they need to remove the nerves so that they can make preparations for later on when you do the crown work. Majority of the times the nerves in the tooth go bad due to having a bad filling or one that has been in there for quite a long time.

If this happens then you probably shouldn’t go back to that doctor who gave you the filling.

Don’t be intimidated by having a root canal done, since it’s not anything to be fearful over. The dentists are there to help you and will be than willing to cooperate with you if you have problems. If the root canal procedure seems like it would be too painful then you can always get options such as anesthetics, laughing gas, or just take an ibuprofen before the procedure. You should ask your doctor if they offer gas or anesthetics. Since you only get one set of teeth when your a adult, it’s best to get this type of work done.

Learn about the Root Canal Procedure and how a root canal can help counteract infection. Get the facts on Endodontic procedures.