Yes, root canal treatment is safe and maybe the only way to preserve a badly damaged tooth!

At Endodontics Associates of Georgia, we are specialists in a procedure that may be the only way to save a badly damaged or severely infected tooth: root canal therapy. This nonsurgical treatment is also safe. Endodontists like Drs Damaries Candelario-Soto, Yanina Figueroa, Joseph Yoo, Shaletha Bolden, and Yasir Al-Drugh, perform millions of endodontic procedures each year and do so safely and successfully. The American Association of Endodontists reports that root canal therapy’s success rate exceeds 90%. And even teeth that fail to heal correctly can still be saved at one of our offices in Atlanta, Kennesaw, Cartersville, and Roswell. After all, endodontic treatment is not limited to root canal therapy. Surgical procedures can address reinfection or complex anatomical cases, including treatments like root-end resection (apicoectomy). 

Modern endodontic procedures have never been more comfortable, conservative, predictable, precise, and safe. For instance, we use the minimally-invasive GentleWave® Procedure to clear the innermost part of the tooth of diseased tissue and bacteria painlessly and thoroughly. This alternative to manual instruments also conserves the maximum healthy tooth structure. Our use of precision diagnostics and microscopy, too, support our ability to treat the damaged tooth effectively. The more we can “see” even the most minute details and structures, the better we can understand the state of the tooth and the anatomical features specific to each patient. This understanding increases the odds of successful treatment and uneventful healing. 

While our practice revolves around sophisticated technologies and the latest understanding of dental and endodontic science and research, many lingering falsehoods about root canal treatment are based on outdated theories that have since been debunked. We won’t entertain these theories here, but let’s say that they were put forth at the dawn of the 20th century. That was a time when radioactive radium was being touted as a “miracle cure” for everything from arthritis to wrinkles, and “cocaine tablets” could be purchased at the store to clear a raging headache or sore throat.

The bottom line: Root canal therapy not only removes a painful infection from the tooth but also relieves toothaches. It also prevents oral infections from spreading to other parts of the body through the bloodstream. Additionally, there is nothing inherently unsafe about treating pregnant women with root canal therapy; however, complications from oral infections are associated with risks to both mothers and their unborn children, including low birth-weight babies. 

Unfounded fears about root canal treatment should never stand in the way of your comfort, physical health, and safety. We welcome any questions you may have and encourage you to contact us at (770) 954-8338.