Can root canals affect your health? How safe are root canals?

Root canal treatment (RCT) is a standard procedure at Endodontics Associates of Georgia that saves badly damaged teeth. The doctor removes the infected pulp chamber and restores the tooth with a filling or crown to maintain its natural function and appearance.

A root canal saves your tooth from extraction. Unfortunately, RCT has been unfairly criticized and surrounded by numerous false misconceptions. Have you heard the misbelief that root canals are unsafe? Perhaps that has scared you from getting the procedure to save that painful tooth. Our endodontic team debunks this myth. Keep reading to learn the truth about root canal safety.

Why do I need a root canal?

Your tooth’s pulp chamber has nerves, blood vessels, and other intricate tissues. When you have a deep cavity, crack, faulty crown, or filling, harmful bacteria may seep into the pulp, causing inflammation. When your tooth has an infection, your body’s healing mechanism or antibiotics can’t reverse it. In such cases, you need a root canal. Otherwise, the infection will spread and cause tooth loss and other health complications.

While only a dentist or endodontist can definitively determine the need for a root canal, certain symptoms may provide clues.

These include:

• An excruciating toothache
• Tooth sensitivity, especially when consuming hot and cold foods
• Tooth discoloration
• Swollen gums and face
• A recurring pimple-like swelling on the gums
• Persistent foul mouth odor

What should I expect from root canal treatment?

During a root canal, the dentist removes the diseased pulp tissues through an access hole at the top of the tooth. Unlike popular misconceptions, we don’t remove the tooth or its canals—only the infected tissues.

Next, we thoroughly clean the inside of the tooth using the state-of-the-art GentleWave technology. This procedure removes all traces of unwanted bacteria and other debris. Then, we’ll fill your tooth with a biocompatible rubbery material (gutta-percha) to prevent future bacterial invasions. The final step is to restore your tooth with a filling or crown.

Removing the pulp chamber does not affect a mature tooth. The pulp chamber provides nutrition and sensation to your tooth. However, once a tooth matures, it can function effectively without this inner tissue. Your tooth can still perform its essential functions, such as chewing and biting, because it primarily relies on the surrounding periodontal ligament and bone for support and sensation.

Does a root canal cause serious illness?

One stubborn root canal misconception is that the treatment can cause systematic illnesses, including cancer and cardiovascular complications. This misconception is based on a century-old research that argued that bacteria during a root canal can leak into the body and cause serious illness.

This poorly conducted research was refuted in the following decade by studies that utilized superior scientific methodologies. These studies showed no link between root canals and systematic illnesses. According to the American Association of Endodontists, root canal treatment is localized—it takes place inside your tooth and has no chance of causing infections in other body parts.

Are you ready for a root canal?

Have you avoided root canals in favor of extraction or a wait-and-see approach? Root canals save millions of smiles every year. If you have an infected tooth, contact Endodontics Associates of Georgia to avoid unnecessary pain and possible tooth loss. Call (770) 954-8338 to reserve your root canal appointment at one of our convenient offices in Atlanta, Kennesaw, Cartersville, or Roswell.

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