When you hear the word root canal, you start imagining about
a person holding his/her swollen jaw and complaining about the extreme pain.
This is what most of us are led to believe. But if you think about it from a
wider perspective, you may wonder what the root canal is for, and that if it
really causes this much pain.
There are myths about root canal treatment that have become
pretty popular among people. These are the very myths which make people think
about root canal treatment as something which requires alternatives on
immediate basis. However, the matter of fact is that these myths are nothing
more than just myths in today’s world.
Before we talk about the myths, it is worth mentioning what
a root canal treatment really is and why you may need it. The root canal
treatment is the process of removal of infected pulp from the tooth. Infection
in pulp is dangerous not only for the tooth itself but also for the jawbone and
neighboring teeth. In some cases, it can lead to other overall health issues.
The need for root canal treatment may occur due to the
following reasons.
- Cracked or damaged teeth
- Cavities that reach the tooth’s depth
- Abscess
- Infection due to previous unsuccessful treatment
The infected pulp of tooth leads to the infected root. Root
canal treatment mainly involves drilling of tooth from the chewing surface. The
hold created opens up the way to tooth pulp. The pulp is then removed along
with the infection.
Myths about root
canal
Root canal is painful
While root canal treatment has been painful in the past, it
is not the case now. Root canal treatment now involves careful administration
of anesthesia which numbs the tooth and neighboring nerves effectively.
Moreover, there are certain methods which can help you prevent the pain after
the surgery.
Tooth removal is the better option
Perhaps the only reason you go for root canal treatment is
that you want to save your tooth. Now, many people argue that removing the
tooth is more preferable as compared to getting root canal treatment. Well, it
would be worth mentioning here that tooth restoration, no matter how good it
is, after tooth removal doesn’t fully restore the tooth’s function. And, a root
canal treatment can help in restoring the function of your tooth quite
effectively.
Pain is the main reason you need root canal
Most people think that root canal is needed only when tooth
starts hurting due to infection. Well, there may be a lot of cases in which the
tooth dies. When that happens, the infection remains there without causing any
pain. The major disadvantage of infection persisting in the dead nerves is that
it keeps infecting the jawbone. Hence, it is important to visit the dentist and
get the oral cavity checked thoroughly.
