Root Canal Procedures Are Effective But Often Feared? Why Is That?

We look at the history of the treatment and why you shouldn't worry if you need it.

The words ‘root canal’ have been known to strike fear into the bravest of people. For years, filmmakers and authors have often used this as the benchmark for an extreme level of pain. For dentists, this can be a problem as we know that this is not the reality and it is actually a very useful procedure that can be used to save a tooth from needing to be extracted.

In today’s blog then, our Staines dental team are going to examine where this fear may have come from along with information about the procedure itself. First though, let us take a look at what the procedure is used for.

Infected pulp

The only situation that a root canal procedure is used for is when the soft pulp that lies in the root canals of a tooth becomes infected. This usually occurs when a tooth has been damaged, bacteria has entered and reached internally. Within the soft pulp material are many tiny blood vessels and also the nerves of the tooth. As you can imagine then, when this happens it can be very painful indeed. If root canal therapy were not to be used, there would be little choice but to extract the tooth.

So far so good, but where does the ‘fear factor’ come from?

Nobody seems entirely certain where its reputation came from, but dentists generally agree that this is an historic legacy from days when dental care was less sophisticated. Modern dentistry has many advantages over older methods and it is likely that this is where it originated.

Two particular things that have changed over time is the introduction of more powerful local anaesthetics and x-rays/digital imaging. It isn’t hard to imagine that this procedure could be very painful if the anesthetic used wasn’t especially effective. Many believe though, that the introduction of x-rays has been the biggest game changer.

One thing that can occur with this type of infection is that abscesses can form within the tooth. These are often not visible to the naked eye, and before x-rays, a dentist would have drilled into the tooth and may well have hit one of these. As you can imagine (or would rather not!), this would have been incredibly painful. It is likely that this is where its reputation came from.

Patients of Clarence Dental Staines need not fear though. In addition to our highly skilled staff, x-rays are always taken before a root canal procedure is carried out so that we can check for abscesses. If any are found, the treatment will be postponed until they have been treated. Once this has been done, your treatment should cause no more discomfort than most other invasive dental procedures.

The treatment

For anyone who really doesn’t want to know what this treatment involves, look away now. We do think though that it will help to alleviate some of the concerns that you might have about it. It may be more straightforward than you think!

After x-rays have been taken and the ‘all clear’ has been given for the treatment to go ahead i.e.no abscesses, you will be given a local anaesthetic which will quickly numb the area where the procedure will take place.

The next step is to access the top or side of the tooth, allowing the dentist to reach the infected root canals. The infected pulp material is then removed from the canals using special tools. The now hollow canals may then be widened a little to ensure effective filling. Before this is done though, they are thoroughly cleaned to minimise any risk of re-infection.

Once the canals are cleaned and ready, a special filling material called ‘gutta percha’ is used to fill the canals. This is a rubber-like material which can be heated so that it seals the canals effectively.  While this technically completes the treatment, in most cases a dental crown will be added to the tooth, not only to make it appear natural but to provide the additional strength needed for everyday use.

As you can see then, while it is an invasive treatment, it is not one that should be feared. The success rate is high and the only other alternative would be to remove the tooth altogether.

We do understand that this treatment has become a bit of an unfortunate ‘legend’ and that some people are already nervous about their dental appointments. We are always happy to discuss any treatment with you to help you understand what will happen during it if this will help you. For more information about root canal procedures or any other treatment that we carry out at our Staines dental clinic, please call the Clarence Dental Practice today on 01784 463695.