Many people have misconceptions about root canal treatment. Our endodontist and team want you to have accurate information about your oral health and your recommended procedures so that you can make a fully informed decision and receive care that will improve your oral health and well-being. We invite you to call Laser Endodontic Care LLC at 703-448-8433 for more information about root canal therapy in Vienna, Virginia, and to schedule a consultation with Dr. Mary Ann Choby. We also encourage you to seek a second opinion if you continue to have concerns or questions.
Myth #1: Root Canal Treatment Is Painful
The belief that root canals are painful is simply not true. Thanks to advances in technologies, treatment techniques and anesthetics, root canal treatment today is no more uncomfortable than having a filling placed. In fact, the reality is that a root canal will relieve your pain and discomfort. Tooth pain can be caused by damaged or infected tissues – a root canal will remove this damaged tissue and restore your oral health so that you no longer experience this discomfort.
Myth #2: Root Canal Treatment Causes Illness
If you have begun searching the internet for information about root canals, you may find websites claiming that teeth which are treated with root canals contribute to illness and disease in the body generally. This claim is false. This myth originated as a result of poor research performed nearly century ago, at a time before medicine understood the causes of many diseases.
In the 1920s, Dr. Weston A. Price advocated tooth extraction over endodontic treatment. This resulted in an era where extracting a tooth (a treatment among the most traumatic of all dental procedures) was a common recommendation for treating systemic diseases as well as a step taken to help prevent future illness.
In truth, there is no valid, scientific evidence to link teeth treated with root canals and disease elsewhere in your body. Root canals are safe and highly effective, and when a severe infection requires endodontic treatment your treatment plan is designed to eliminate bacteria from the infected area, prevent reinfection and save your natural tooth.
Fun Fact: The misinformation from Dr. Price’s research was almost immediately debunked. His research techniques were criticized at the time they were published, and by the early 1930s a number of well-designed studies using more modern research techniques had discredited his findings. Further research and publications continue to support endodontic treatment as the best option for removing infection and saving your natural teeth.
Myth #3: Tooth Extraction Is a Good Alternative to a Root Canal
The very best option for your oral health is saving your natural teeth.
Nothing can completely replace your natural tooth. Maintaining your own teeth is important to your continuing oral health and function as well as to your quality of life. If your dentist recommends extraction, ask whether root canal treatment is an option and consider seeking a second opinion.
Endodontic treatment, along with appropriate restoration, is a cost-effective way to treat teeth with damaged dental pulp and is usually less expensive (and less time-consuming) than extracting and replacing your teeth. Endodontic procedures also have a very high success rate – in fact, most teeth treated with root canals last a lifetime.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our office and speak with a member of our team. We will be happy to provide you with more information and help you make an appointment with our endodontist .