All about Root Canals: Common Questions and Myths
Do you have tooth pain? Does it seem to come and go? Are the gums swollen near the tooth that hurts? These are warning signs that you have an infection inside your tooth. Only a root canal can end the pain and save an infected tooth.
Why Root Canals Are Sometimes Necessary
Everyone’s mouth has some harmful bacteria in it. That’s why you get cavities. Those bacteria eat tiny particles of food left behind after eating. Then they make an acid that erodes your enamel. If a cavity gets deep enough, those bacteria can reach inside a tooth.
That’s a very bad thing. Inside your tooth is dental pulp. It’s home to all the blood vessels and nerve endings for that tooth. Once the bacteria get there, you’re facing two big problems:
- You get a powerful toothache (although the pain can disappear for awhile).
- The enamel starts to turn brittle.
Combined together, it’s fair to say your tooth starts to die.
By calling our Hellertown, PA dental office today, you can schedule a dental exam with our highly trained and experienced dentists. They can determine if your tooth is infected and use a root canal to remove that infection.
But What Is A Root Canal?
A root canal is a restorative dentistry treatment. That means it restores your tooth back to it’s strong, healthy state. Here’s how a root canal normally goes:
- You receive some digital X-rays to find the infection in your tooth.
- Our dentist carefully makes a small opening in that tooth.
- Using special tools and advanced training, the dentist gently removes the infected pulp.
- A small amount of a rubber-like substance fills in the space left by the removed pulp.
- Your tooth is both sealed and strengthened with a dental crown.
Root Canal Questions And Myths
Root canals are not well known, so there are a lot of false ideas and unknowns. For example, did you know that root canals are not painful? Here are the answers and facts about root canals at our Hellertown, PA dental office.
Isn’t it better to just remove the infected tooth?
A long time ago, a dentist decided that dental extractions were better than root canals. However, that has been proven to be a complete myth. It’s always better to have your natural teeth! With a root canal, you can get rid of the infection instead of the whole tooth.
Do root canals leave the tooth weak and prone to damage?
Root canals end with a dental crown, but that’s not because the restorative dentistry treatment made the tooth weak. That was already done by the infection. As the infection spreads through the pulp, it causes the enamel to grow brittle. In fact, getting a root canal and dental crown makes that tooth stronger.
Won’t a root canal lead to big health problems like cancer?
here is a stubborn myth out there that root canals can lead to cancer, arthritis, or similar health problems. The truth is the exact opposite. If you left the infection in the tooth, it can get into your bloodstream and infect other parts of your body. Root canals remove the infection so it doesn’t spread and cause any such health problems.
Aren’t root canals very painful?
Absolutely not! If you’ve heard that root canals are painful, then you heard a myth. The truth is that a root canal doesn’t hurt any more than getting a filling. Between local anesthesia and our dentists’ expertise, a root canal does not have to hurt.
Call us TODAY at (610) 838-0131 or contact us online to schedule your next appointment. A root canal is never done lightly. Our dentists will thoroughly examine your teeth to make sure there really is an infection. (Although you can probably already feel it.)
Once the infection is confirmed, a root canal at our Hellertown, PA dental office is the comfortable way to remove the infection. This finally ends your toothache and keeps your tooth where it belongs.
