Why Your Dentist Will Tell You A Root Canal Isn’t That Bad

Your dentist will call it endodontic therapy, but most people know it as a root canal. Among the most feared of all oral procedures, the root canal has been known to make grown men cry. But is it really as bad as everyone says? Is it worth avoiding the dentist your entire life and having a mouth full of rot just because you think you can’t handle a bit of pain? When people think of root canals, they often immediately bring to mind rusty pliers and a mouthful of blood. Things have come a long way since whiskey was used as a numbing ointment though, and unless you haven’t seen the end of a toothbrush in decades; you have little to worry about.

Root canals are reserved for patients with a severe level of decay within the pulp of the tooth. This can be caused by general lack of hygiene, a genetic predisposition or weakness of the teeth, use of drugs, or untreated previous problems such as cavities that have been left to run wild. Once infected, the pulp of the tooth needs to be extracted and replaced with a filling in order to keep the rest of the tooth from rotting. A dentist then usually places a crown on the top to further strengthen the structure. The success rate of root canals is fairly high and helps prevent total tooth loss in the future as well as stops the pain associated with the infection.

So what is stopping people from a visit to the chair if they are risking losing their teeth? The pain of a root canal is generally far less than what people anticipate and much less than the pain of allowing an infection or abscess to fester and contaminate the rest of the mouth, or even underlying bone structure such as the jaw.

During a root canal, the dentist will manage the pain through anesthesia. There are some people who following the procedure will react poorly to it, causing nausea, headaches, and other unpleasant symptoms for a day or two. This, and any pain following the pulp extraction, can be handled very successfully with medication and a day of bed rest if required. The worst-case scenario, and the most painful, is when the dental practitioner must first remove an abscess that has been created near the gum of the tooth. This is a sore pocket of pus that will need to be opened before surgery can be performed. Puncturing the abscess can cause pain as well as the release of the liquid inside, which makes anesthesia ineffective. Your dental practitioner will then prescribe some antibiotics and have you allow the area to heal for a week or two before continuing on with the root canal.

Another reason why people cringe at root canals? Sometimes the process can be quite drawn out and necessitate multiple visits to the dental office which can be time consuming and stressful. Dentists sometimes need to try a few different remedies (in an attempt to spare you from the root canal) or prepare the area before it is safe to perform the procedure.