Myths About Root Canals and Root Canal Pain
Many patients have heard misinformation about root canal (endodontic) treatment and concerns about discomfort during the procedure. The American Association of Endodontists provides accurate information to help patients make informed decisions. When considering any dental procedure, gathering comprehensive information about your options is important. Your dentist or endodontist can address your questions, and seeking a second opinion is often helpful if concerns remain.
Myth #1—Root canal procedures are extremely painful.
Myth #2—Root canal treatment leads to health problems.
Myth #3—Tooth extraction is better than root canal treatment.
Myth #1—Root canal procedures are extremely painful.
Reality—Root canal treatment eliminates pain rather than causing it.
The idea that root canals are painful stems from outdated experiences, but today’s advanced technology and anesthetics make root canal treatment no more uncomfortable than receiving a standard filling. Recent surveys reveal that patients who have undergone root canal treatment are six times more likely to call it “painless” compared to those who haven’t experienced the procedure.
Most patients visit their dentist or endodontist because of severe tooth pain. This pain typically results from damaged tissue inside the tooth. Root canal treatment eliminates this damaged tissue, which relieves your discomfort.
Myth #2—Root canal treatment leads to health problems.
Reality: No credible scientific evidence connects root canal-treated teeth with diseases elsewhere in the body. Root canal treatment is both safe and effective. When a serious tooth infection requires endodontic care, the treatment eliminates bacteria from the infected root canal, prevents future reinfection, and preserves your natural tooth.
Patients researching root canals online may encounter websites claiming that endodontically treated teeth contribute to illness and disease throughout the body. This incorrect claim stems from outdated and flawed research conducted nearly 100 years ago by Dr. Weston A. Price, during an era when medicine didn’t understand the true causes of many diseases.
During the 1920s, Dr. Price promoted tooth extraction—the most invasive dental procedure—instead of endodontic treatment. This led to an alarming period when teeth were extracted both to treat systemic diseases and prevent future illness.
The existence of bacteria in teeth and mouths has been recognized for many years. However, bacterial presence doesn’t mean “infection” and doesn’t necessarily threaten your health. Bacteria exist in the mouth and teeth constantly, even in teeth that have never had cavities or trauma. Research demonstrates that a healthy immune system handles bacteria within minutes.
Tooth extraction creates significant trauma and causes a much higher rate of bacteria entering the bloodstream; endodontic treatment limited to the root canal system creates less trauma and results in far fewer bacteria entering the blood.
No adequate substitute exists for your natural tooth – preservation should be the goal whenever possible. Root canal treatment, combined with proper restoration, offers a cost-effective approach to treating infected teeth because it typically costs less than extraction followed by implant placement. In most situations, endodontic treatment allows patients to keep their natural teeth for life.
Regarding Dr. Price’s research: This demonstrates how the Internet can resurrect long-debunked theories. The misinformation about root canals found online still relies on Dr. Price’s century-old, discredited research. His research methods were questioned when published, and by the early 1930s, multiple well-designed studies using modern research techniques had disproven his conclusions. In 1951, the Journal of the American Dental Association took the unusual step of publishing a special edition reviewing scientific literature and returning the standard of care to endodontic treatment for teeth with non-vital pulp when the tooth could be saved. The JADA examined Dr. Price’s 1920s research methods and found they lacked many components of modern scientific research, including proper control groups and appropriate bacterial dosing.
As recently as 2013, research published in JAMA Otolaryngology—Head & Neck Surgery found that patients with multiple endodontic treatments had a 45 percent lower cancer risk.
Myth #3—Tooth extraction is better than root canal treatment.
Reality—Preserving your natural teeth, when possible, is always the best choice.
Nothing can fully replace your natural tooth. Artificial teeth may sometimes require you to limit certain foods. Maintaining your own teeth allows you to continue enjoying the diverse foods needed for proper nutrition. If your dentist suggests extraction, ask whether root canal treatment is possible.
Endodontic treatment, with appropriate restoration, provides a cost-effective solution for treating teeth with damaged pulp and usually costs less than extraction plus bridge or implant placement.
Endodontic treatment also achieves very high success rates. Many root canal-treated teeth function for a lifetime.
Bridge or implant placement requires considerably more treatment time and may involve additional procedures on neighboring teeth and supporting tissues.
Millions of healthy endodontically treated teeth serve patients worldwide, years after treatment. These healthy teeth help patients chew effectively, maintain their natural smile appearance, and improve their quality of life. Through endodontic treatment, endodontists and dentists globally help patients preserve their natural teeth for life.