Remember Me
forgot your password?

Root Canal - It's Not a Horror Story

You've heard it a thousand times: "I'd rather have a root canal than __" you fill in the blank. Root canals have gained one of the worst reputations on the planet and, believe it or not, it is much undeserved.

I worked for an Endodontist for eight years. That's a root canal specialist. I've talked to thousands of people with toothache and fear of root canals. The first question always asked is "Is it going to hurt?"

This is the scenario: your toothache hurts like the dickens. You've had an x-ray that reveals decay into the pulp of the tooth. You have two alternatives: get the tooth pulled or save it by having a root canal.

The root canal itself does not hurt, OK? Remember Novocain? No dentist or Endodontist is going to perform a root canal on you if you aren't numb first. It is a precision procedure. You have to be still and not move around in the dental chair. You must be numb to accomplish that.

It is not the root canal causing the pain. The problem that made you have to have a root canal is causing the pain. A root canal is the first step to alleviating the pain.

After your root canal there may be some discomfort, but it is a different or healing type pain. Most times, it is very mild and can be controlled with over the counter pain medications. In only 1% of the cases is it worse than before having the root canal.

So where did the bad reputation come from? Many people fear the dentist to start with and ignore the warning signs of a problem simply because they do not want to go to the dentist. The toothache, which most times is caused by decay, gets worse. It could be something as simple as a dull ache while drinking something hot or cold. It goes away and is ignored. But, one day, it doesn't go away. You bite down and get a shooting pain that seems to go on forever. Or you drink something cold which sends you through the roof. It's root canal time.

The key is to get the tooth fixed before it gets infected and swells your jaw to chipmunk proportions. See your dentist at the first sign of symptoms.

There are times, however, when it does sneak up on you seemingly without warning. You could have an unknown fracture in a tooth that widens all of a sudden when you chew. Ouch! You'll know it if that happens. Once that fracture reaches the inside nerve of your tooth, you will not be able to ignore the torment it can cause and will be more than happy to see your dentist or Endodontist at first available opportunity.

But see? A root canal is the solution to your toothache, not the cause of it. But, you already knew that, didn't you?

Deborah L Boynton
Debbie Boynton has worked in dental field for eight years. Find more info at: Toothache Help Use this article on your website as long as this resource box is included and this article remains unchanged. ©2006 Debbie L Boynton
Rate this Article: 0 / 5 stars - 0 vote(s)
Print Email Re-Publish

Add new Comment



Captcha

  • Latest Health Articles
  • More from Deborah L Boynton

Dos and Don’ts during Pregnancy

By: Chris Cornell | 31/12/2009
There are lots of dos and don’ts during pregnancy. Read on to learn more about this.

Ways to Get Rid Of Facial Wrinkles Easily

By: Chris Cornell | 31/12/2009
Wrinkles are easily formed if you do not take good care of your skin since young. So, read on to find out the ways to get rid of facial wrinkles easily.

Take Care You Buy The Correct Office Furniture For Computer Workers

By: Annie Deakin | 31/12/2009
Back in the day, no one really gave much thought to the humble typist or bookkeeper, sitting plunking away on their bean counter or typewriter. If they weren't frontline staff, they generally got the old hand-me-down office furniture. Today things have changed and as we all spend hours sitting at computers, from MD to Receptionist office furniture design has changed.

Do You Understand All Of The Major Reasons Why Your Back Hurts So Badly?

By: Jimmy Woodall | 31/12/2009
Dealing with our back pain takes a lot of patience and we should be able to find out a way to get some good medications the best we can in a natural way. This article will help you along the way of your recovery in dealing with your problem about back pains.

How Can a Neti Pot Work to Defeat Sinus Infections?

By: Elijiah Rampart | 31/12/2009
Have you ever heard of a Net pot? I wasn’t familiar with this not too long ago, until I looked into it some and learned that it could help me with chronic sinus infections and continual common colds. I found that using the Neti pot once per day help keep me much healthier and I was sick much less often

Spitting (Growing Up Smart Bad Habit #9)

By: Frank Hawkins | 31/12/2009
Today, spitting is normally considered rude and socially unacceptable. It wasn’t always so.

3 Steps to Using a Neti Pots to Relieve Sinus Infections

By: Elijiah Rampart | 31/12/2009
I wasn’t familiar with this not too long ago, until I looked into it some and learned that it could help me with chronic sinus infections and continual common colds. I found that using the Neti pot once per day help keep me much healthier and I was sick much less often.

What is Root Canal Treatment?

By: Deborah L Boynton | 22/07/2006 | Non-Fiction
Root canal treatment, also called root canal therapy, is a procedure used to treat problems of the inside of the tooth, or the dental pulp. It is a way to save teeth that might otherwise have to be pulled. The treatment could involve from one to three visits to your dentist or Endodontist, (root canal specialist).

What Causes a Need for a Root Canal?

By: Deborah L Boynton | 01/06/2006 | Non-Fiction
A lot of people think that bad hygiene is the cause of all teeth problems. This is only one cause of root canal. The fact is we inherit our teeth from our parents, determining whether we have hard or soft teeth. Soft teeth decay more readily than hard teeth and take extra careful hygiene to prevent decay and other problems.

Help! My Tooth is Killing Me

By: Deborah L Boynton | 14/04/2006 | Health
What to do at home for a toothache to stop the pain until you can get in to see your dentist.

Submit Your Articles Free: Signup
Article Categories




Use of this web site constitutes acceptance of the Terms Of Use and Privacy Policy | User published content is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Copyright © 2005-2008 Free Articles by ArticlesBase.com, All rights reserved. (0.69, 8, w3)