Root Canal vs. Tooth Extraction, And Other Myths

Root canal procedures have a crummy reputation for being painful, complicated and invasive. Undergoing root canal in Yaletown Vancouver is a significant procedure, but an essential one if you have a serious tooth infection. For such an essential form of dental treatment, though, root canals are clouded with a lot of myths. Let’s clarify some of them.

Extraction isn’t just as good a choice

MYTH. Sometimes getting an infected tooth pulled is the only good option, but extractions are a last resort and can frequently be prevented. Why are extractions avoided whenever possible? For the simple reason that having a tooth pulled can be invasive, stressful and traumatic. Most extractions are performed without any complications or ill effects, but any procedure includes a risk of infection and lingering symptoms. Even if an extraction is performed perfectly smoothly, you’ll be left with a gap in your jaw and smile. You’ll have to make further investments to replace that missing tooth. All of those issues can be avoided by undergoing a timely root canal near you.

Root canal treatment is painful

AGAIN, A MYTH. Undergoing a root canal treatment in Downtown Vancouver does not cause pain. Modern root canal procedures are performed with the benefit of an anesthetic so that patients won't feel any pain during the procedure itself. Rather, root canal therapy in Yaletown relieves the pain you’ll experience due to the inflamed pulp chamber around your tooth’s nerve. The pain that many people associate with a root canal isn’t caused by the procedure itself, but by the infection that it will eliminate.

Root canal treatment eliminates pain immediately

ANOTHER MYTH. You’ll feel better immediately, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be completely symptom-free immediately. You should expect your tooth to be somewhat sensitive during the first few days after your root canal. For the first couple of weeks after treatment, you may experience mild pain while chewing. That post-surgery pain will be mild enough to ease by using over-the-counter pain medication (as directed).

Root canals don’t work

YOU GUESSED IT. A MYTH. The goal of undergoing root canal therapy near you is to save a tooth from being extracted unnecessarily. An infection that is permitted to progress for too long will destroy so much tissue inside your tooth that the tooth will die and not be strong enough to stay in place or serve any useful function. In 85% of cases, though, a root canal performed in time will eliminate the need to have a tooth pulled while also removing the infection and preventing it from spreading in your mouth and body.

You’ll experience sensitive teeth for months after surgery

ONE MORE MYTH. You’ll experience some tooth sensitivity for a few days after a root canal, but the sensitivity should gradually disappear. If your teeth remain sensitive for more than a couple of days or you experience pain for more than a couple of weeks, you should let your dentist know as soon as possible. Those ongoing symptoms may be an indication that infection remains in previously unseen canals inside your tooth or even that your tooth is broken all the way into its root. Your dentist will take further steps necessary to eliminate the remaining infection and to provide relief from lingering symptoms.

Root canal treatment kills teeth

NOPE. IT’S A MYTH. Root canals don’t kill teeth. Rather, root canals eliminate the infection that — if not removed — will eventually kill your tooth. Your dentist in Yaletown will remove the infected nerves and blood vessels from your tooth, then clean and seal that tooth completely. Don’t worry; you don’t need that material anymore. That material is only necessary while the tooth is growing and developing.

 

If you have any questions about what to expect during a root canal, don’t hesitate to contact a dentist in Downtown Vancouver. A dentist near you will take all the time necessary to answer your questions and ease any anxiety you’re experiencing.