Lose the Decay, Save the Tooth — Root Canals

Root canal. Mention those two words in casual conversation with someone and watch the reaction on their face. It will probably involve some look of discomfort, maybe even horror! Ah, root canals, the dental procedure right out of medieval torture.

Puhleeeeze. The reality of the modern root canal performed by Dr. Egger is far different than the preconceptions. Modern root canals don’t involve any more pain than having a typical cavity filled. And they will usually save your tooth.

Let’s get past the myths about root canals.

Myth #1 — The treatment is painful.

It isn’t true that a root canal is painful. This misperception of the procedure and the pain “supposedly” involved must come from long ago when anesthesia and dental practices weren’t as advanced as they are now.

Usually, people now associate the pain PRIOR to having the root canal with the procedure. This pain is coming from the infected pulp inside the tooth and this is what the root canal seeks to remove. An infection in a tooth can be very painful because the infection has progressed far enough to impact the nerves in the tooth root. A root canal removes the infected/decayed tissue, including the nerves in the tooth, and relieves this extreme pain. Modern technology has made it possible for a root canal treatment to be almost “painless.”

Myth #2 — Tooth extraction is a good alternative to a root canal procedure.

Extraction used to be a viable alternative, but those days are long gone. Dr. Egger strives to keep the natural tooth if at all possible, and a root canal procedure can do that. By keeping your natural teeth, you can continue to eat whatever you want. Also, root canal treatment is a cost-effective method of treating a tooth with infected pulp. The success rate in keeping the tooth, if there is enough healthy tooth remaining, is very high with root canals.

Myth #3 — The procedure causes illness.

This is nothing more than a dental “urban legend.” There isn’t a shred of evidence that root canal treatments cause various illnesses in the body. It is a safe and effective procedure that eliminates bacteria, prevents reinfection, and salvages your natural tooth. The fact is, if you don’t remove the infection in your tooth, then the infection can spread to other areas of your body.

If you have serious pain in a tooth, you may need a root canal to remove the infected pulp and save the tooth. Call Dr. Egger at (989) 773-3560 and let’s check it out.