Infections are no joke, especially when they are inside your mouth. They can cause you a great deal of pain and cause some severe damage to your teeth. Luckily, root canals are a time proven way to bust bacterial infections at the source. Root canals, while invasive, are incredibly safe and performed on about 15 million Americans a year according to the American Association of Endodontists. Yet, even though it is a relatively common treatment, it has a lot of uncomfortable myths about it floating around. Today, this article will clear up some of the myths surrounding root canals, such as...

Myth: Root Canals Are Really Painful

Truth: The whole point of a root canal is to provide you relief from the pain of an infection.

It is common for patients to feel absolutely no discomfort during the procedure and in fact, they leave the appointment feeling nice and refreshed. So, where the heck did this myth come from then? It actually came from days of old when the procedures were very painful. But this was back before advances in medical science and anaesthetics were commonplace to use during the operation.

Myth: A Good Alternative To A Root Canal Is To Have Your Tooth Pulled

Truth: Removing your natural teeth should always be a last ditch effort in solving a dental problem.

While it is true that veneers and bridges have come a long way in making the best replacement possible, they still can't beat natural teeth. Indeed, with a replacement tooth you might find yourself having to avoid different types of food or drinks. This myth came from a widely held belief that a root canal would do nothing to save the tooth for very long, so you might as well have it pulled. That is not the case however, as teeth that have root canals performed on them can last you the rest of your lifetime with proper dental care, making the solution anything but temporary!

Myth: You Don't Need A Root Canal If There Is No Pain

Truth: There really is no downside to getting the infection removed before the pain starts.

After all, you can avoid one of the worst parts of a tooth infection, so why not? Infections won't clean up on their own either, so it can only get worse as time goes on. So, why on earth did this myth come about? This one is quite simple actually, it's human nature to leave well enough alone. Everyone tends to try and put things off as long as possible, especially with medical procedures.

Hopefully, by revealing some of the facts you'll feel much more comfortable with going through with your own procedure. Remember, there's nothing to be afraid of and root canals are completely safe. Talk to experts like Rose City Dental Care for more information.