Root canal therapy is a highly common restorative dental treatment that has gained a bad reputation among patients, causing many people to avoid the care they need for a comfortable, healthy smile. In the past, root canal therapy was fairly unpleasant for patients, but years of advancing technology and shifting priorities emphasizing patient comfort in the dentist’s office have yielded treatment that is nothing but beneficial for patients with abscessed (deeply infected) teeth. Here is a look at the truth behind some of the more common myths surrounding root canal therapy.

Root canal treatment is painful.

The most painful part of root canal therapy is waiting to schedule your treatment. When the tooth is infected, nerves within the tooth are highly irritated, so they signal pain even when the tooth is not exposed to heat, cold, or pressure. During the treatment, local anesthesia and mild sedatives will be used to ensure that you are comfortable as the infected tissue and damage nerves are removed from the center of the tooth.

It’s better to have abscessed teeth pulled.

Some people think that extraction is a suitable and favorable alternative to root canal therapy, but pulling teeth actually poses a series of complications not present with root canals. With the structure of the tooth absent from the jaw line, the jaw bone can quickly recede and cause problems deep below the gum line. Plus, extraction has a much more significant recovery period in which infection can occur.

Root canal treatment can wait.

If you are tempted to put off a root canal, you might rethink scheduling your appointment when you consider the detrimental effects of abscess in the tooth. Untreated infections can spread to the surrounding tissue and even to other areas of the body, causing intense pain as the infection worsens.

To get your smile back in good health and find the latest technology available for restorative and cosmetic dental care, visit Dr. John Carson, DDS in Tucson. You can reach our office for appointments by calling (520) 514-7203 or visiting our website.

Are you in need of restorative dental care to get your smile back in good health? If so, you can find some helpful facts in the articles below before scheduling a consultation with Dr. John Carson, DDS. For appointments at our Tucson dental practice, call (520) 514-7203 or visit our website.

Understand what you can expect after your root canal therapy by reading this article from Colgate’s Oral and Dental Health Resource Center.

For information about financing and planning your treatment with dental implants, check out this New York Times article.

See the steps involved in root canal treatment at MayoClinic.com.

Are you a good candidate for dental implants? You can find out with this informative page at WebMD.com.

The American Association of Endodontists can ease your fears about root canals with the truth behind popular root canal myths.