If you have an upcoming root canal, you might be feeling a little nervous—but this procedure is absolutely nothing you need to worry about and something you won’t regret undergoing at all! In fact, root canals are quite useful when it comes to treating compromised teeth and aren’t particularly painful or frightening at all. Here are three reasons from your dentist that should inspire confidence about the treatment.
1. Your Tooth Is Given a Second Chance
When the soft pulp inside of your compromised tooth becomes infected, inflamed, or diseased, a root canal is often the best option for saving your tooth! The resulting cavity that forms when this issue arises can expand into the nerve of the tooth and cause you a great deal of pain! Eventually, the tooth becomes so damaged that something must be done in order to save it and provide relief. A root canal allows your dentist to clear the infected pulp from inside the tooth and seal it back up to prevent further issues, usually with a dental restoration like a crown.
2. It’s Not as Painful as You Think
Despite what you’ve maybe heard about root canals, they actually aren’t very painful at all; in fact, most patients compare them to receiving a filling! Your comfort is your dentist’s top priority, and your mouth is numbed for the entirety of the session with local numbing agents or sometimes general anesthesia. That said, you still might experience some discomfort after the numbness wears off, but this is usually mild and only lasts for a couple of days.
3. The Alternative Is Worse
If you still think root canal therapy sounds bad, you should consider how the alternative (losing the tooth) is much worse! Your teeth are the best available tools at your disposal for biting, chewing, talking, and so on, meaning that losing them isn’t in your best interest at all! If the infection has led to something severe like an abscessed tooth, usually an extraction is performed in order to stave off other potential oral health issues.
Root canal therapy has an unfair reputation; it’s a relatively straightforward, painless, and useful procedure that can easily give a compromised tooth a renewed chance at life—and how could you regret that?
About the Author
Dr. Deborah Bishop received her DMD from the University of Alabama School of Dentistry and is an active member of several professional organizations including the American Dental Association and the Alabama Dental Association. Her practice in Huntsville is pleased to offer a wide range of services including root canal therapy. If you or a loved one is suffering from unrelenting tooth pain, don’t hesitate to give Dr. Bishop a call for assistance: (256) 882-5161.