Root Canals: Calming Your Nerves With Tooth Truth
What is a root canal? How do I know if I need one? And is it going to hurt like crazy?
First, we must tell you something.
Sadly, some dentists are doing root canals on teeth that don’t really need them. All in the name of money.
It’s extremely important that you educate yourself on the main signs, and be sure to get a second opinion from an honest dentist or endodontist if you are questioning what a dentist told you.
Also, be sure to read our advice on how to find a good, honest dentist so that you don’t have to worry about being lied to anymore.
If you do in fact need a root canal, please don’t worry too terribly…Root canals are NOT like the stories tell anymore. They’re pretty easy these days.
Those old stories root back to the days where dentists didn’t know how to numb well and weren’t as skilled at keeping the patients comfortable. Those days are long gone.
Today, honest dentists and specialists have the tools, the knowledge, the patience, and the compassion necessary to get you through.
If you DO end up with a root canal, welcome to the club. Dental professionals have fillings too…AND root canals!
So what exactly has happened to the tooth, and how does a root canal fix it?
A root canal is needed when bacteria has been able to reach the very center of your tooth, where the “canal of your root” is.
This is where the nerve of your tooth is located. When bacteria reaches that point, it causes your tooth to get infected.
Sometimes it hurts when this happens, sometimes it doesn’t.
Sometimes we get a “bubble” abscess on the side of our gums, sometimes we don’t.
Symptoms and a dental xray are the two main ways to determine your need for a root canal.
So how exactly does the bacteria reach the center of your tooth like that? Well…
First, there’s this:
When you have a cavity/decay that doesn’t get taken care of early on, it keeps growing and growing...
Eventually the cavity bacteria will eat it’s way in…ALL the way in…to the “canal of your root.”
You can also crack or break a tooth, to the extent that the canal of the root is affected as well.
Or sometimes a small crack has secretly allowed bacteria to seep in….
Once the canal is involved, there is no other way out. A root canal needs to be done to clean out the infection. The nerve is removed in the process, and they fill the canal back up with special materials.
Once your nerve is taken out, your tooth is now "dead," like a dead tree branch.
It can and will become more and more brittle. So, once a root canal is done, the tooth will require a crown to hold it strongly together. A crown is also needed in order to fix that large decay or break that caused the whole problem to begin with.
Can you see why it’s best to get regular cleanings and checkups to prevent this from happening as best you can?
If you make it a priority, your dental hygienist and honest dentist will find these cavities before they get that large. A little filling can be placed instead of the larger, more involved “fun stuff.”
Sure, things can still happen, but you will definitely minimize problems like this, and your mouth will stay healthier if you stay consistent and faithful.
My tooth is sensitive to cold water. Does this mean that I need a root canal?
Quick zings here and there to "biting or cold" are usually normal sensitivities. Normal sensitivities do NOT mean that you need a root canal.
Normal sensitivities can happen simply because we are stressed out and are clenching or grinding our teeth. They can happen because we have sinus pressure and the roots of our top teeth are up in our sinus cavity. They can happen because we have been brushing too hard. They can happen because we have been eating lots of acidic foods such as oranges or tomatoes.
Normal sensitivities usually subside as the causes for them disappear. If the sensitivities you’re having DON’T go away after a week or two, it’s time to talk to your honest dentist and have them check everything out. Also, if the sensitivities worsen to the point that you are consistently avoiding the area, waking up at night, or taking pain relievers, definitely go see your honest dentist.
Here are the main signs that you might need a root canal:
Your tooth just plain aches all by itself. And by aches, we mean ACHES! That’s no good
Your tooth hurts when you eat or drink HOT things. (not cold, unless it lingers for minutes afterwards) This is no good either.
If you trigger a pain by biting down on a tooth, or with temperature, and that pain LINGERS for a minute or more afterwards, that's a bad sign.
If your honest dentist shows you that you have a dark halo abcess at the tip of your root on an X-ray. That’s not good news (picture)
If you get a bubble on the side of your gums, (picture) that may pop and come back, this is probably an abcess. That abcess is the tooth infection trying to drain. Go see your honest dentist asap.
If your honest dentist is filling a cavity that was very large to begin with, (picture) and he/she is hoping that they can clean out the decay and fill it, without reaching the canal of your tooth, BUT during the appointment they find out otherwise, that’s not the best news. Once you expose that canal, you’ll have to do something about it. (Sadly, I have seen dentists drill too deeply on PURPOSE. This is why it is EXTREMELY important to only go to an honest dentist that you trust, and have the dentist show you how big the cavity is on the X-ray beforehand. You’ll be able to see that the dark area is close to the nerve chamber like this one (picture)) Wit this knowledge, you’ll be able to understand if your chances are slim.
If you hit a tooth or knock a tooth out in an accident, and your honest dentist believes that it can be saved, there’s a pretty high possibility that you’ll need a root canal to save it.
Alternatives to root canals
Thinking about our experiences, watching patients over the years, we would say that a tooth fixed with a root canal lasts, tried and true, about 85% of the time.
There are SOME cases where the tooth just becomes your "problem tooth.” It’s possible that you could end up losing the tooth due to another crack or more decay down the road. But this is not the norm.
If you're truly afraid of this, you also have the option of removing the tooth from the get-go and having a dental implant placed instead. Dental implants also have their “what-if’s”, but it is definitely an option to talk about with your honest dentist, along with other replacement options. Your honest dentist will help you weigh out the pros, cons, and probabilities.
You also have the option of removing the tooth and not replacing it at all. This approach is cheaper, but it’s not always ideal. There are things that can go wrong when you leave a space open in your mouth. Again, your honest dentist will give you the pros and cons for your specific situation.
So really, don’t root canals hurt like crazy!?
Nope!
Those crazy root canal stories date back to the Stone Age days where dentists didn’t numb first. Dentists know what they're doing now. Your tooth will be numb and you’ll do great!
Something you may find surprising, is that root canals actually involve very little drilling! Most of the procedure is done diligently, by hand, with little hand files.
Yes, you may be a little sore AFTERWARDS, when the numbing wears off, but pain medications will be recommended for you. The Endodontist will give you all of the instructions on what they suggest for you specifically.
Should I see a specialist to have my root canal done?
It is recommend that you have an Endodontist perform your root canals. Endodontists are specialists who have gone through EXTRA schooling, solely for root canals! They are experts! They do nothing but root canals all day long. They are GOOD at what they do. If you were going to have back surgery, would you want a foot doctor doing your back surgery?? Or would you want a back surgeon doing your back surgery?
Yes, general dentists can do root canals for you too, but we have found over the years, that “a man who does everything is usually a master of none of them." Good, honest general dentists know their limitations and refer to specialists when they need to. This is not to say that there aren't good honest dentists out there who NAIL IT in the root canal department, but just keep it in mind.
An honest dentist will tell you if it’s not a root canal that they are comfortable performing. Shady dentists do it all, so that they can take your money, but they are not good at much of any of it.
What will it feel like after I have the root canal?
Because your nerve is now taken out of your tooth, you will EVENTUALLY not have any feeling in that tooth. But right at first, the tooth is kind of like "a chicken with its head cut off.”
You may feel SLIGHT sensitivities here and there for up to 6 months afterward, as the nerve in your bone pulls away from where it was once attached to the root of your tooth. It should be very slight though, and will continually get better and better. If you feel anything more than “slight,” be sure to tell your honest dentist so that they can monitor it closely for you. After a bit, you won’t feel a thing. You won’t even feel if another cavity comes along, so be sure to stay regular with your cleanings and checkups.
Well, there you have it! We hope this answered all of your root canal questions!!! If not, please leave additional questions or comments below and we’ll do our best to help!
Though it would be best if we did, we’ll never claim to know it all, all of the time. Nobody knows it all! We do claim honesty though, and we sincerely want to help as many people as we can! Our patients have maintained beautifully, following our conservative recommendations :)
Remember, we cannot diagnose you from cyber space, you have to go find your honest dentist.
Thanks so much for reading and letting us spill our SODA! Remember to take the time to find your HONEST DENTIST, and be sure to browse around our links and follow us on social media for answers to more of your exciting dental questions! like:
