3 Untrue “Facts” about Root Canal Treatments

Root canal treatments are painful!” Bet you’ve heard that before; possibly on multiple occasions.
Did that statement make you fear sitting on the dentist’s seat for life?

A survey conducted by the American Association of Endodontists revealed that the fear of dentists, for a huge majority of people, actually comes from other people’s experiences, instead of their own.


Since a root canal treatment is one of the most feared dental procedures in the world, misconceptions floating around about it, don’t help at all! Here are three ‘facts’ about root canal treatments that are completely false, according to our family dentists in Germantown.

1. The Root Canal procedure is painful

This statement couldn’t be further from the truth. In actual, a root canal treatment is usually prescribed to help stop a tooth from hurting because of an irreversible problem. These could range from having an infected pulp, having a part of your tooth broken off, to even a slowly dying nerve.
Root canal treatments are performed to help alleviate pain. Most patients, after undergoing the procedure, report that the process was painless and that they felt better afterward.

2. A Root Canal takes several sessions to complete

The number of sessions needed to complete a root canal actually depends on a few factors including;
  1. How infected the tooth is
  2. How difficult it is to perform the procedure for your particular problem
  3. Whether a referral to a root canal specialist is required for your case.
It is of course, necessary to completely restore your tooth after the procedure, so, as a rule of thumb, the number of sessions it takes to fully restore your tooth should not be counted in the actual procedure.

According to these factors, as hard as it is to believe, a root canal treatment can actually be completely done within a couple of sessions.

3. It is better to pull a tooth out than have a Root Canal done

Saving your natural tooth, wherever possible, is always a priority. There is no need for you to get a crown, bridge or dental implant if there’s a chance to save your natural tooth/teeth. For dentists, extraction is usually the last resort.

If you’ve been holding off on a Root Canal treatment because of one or more of these myths, here’s your ticket to ease the anxiety.

If you’re looking for a reliable cosmetic and family dentistry clinic in Germantown, MD, our team at Advanced Dental Center works morning, evening and weekend hours to accommodate you according to your own schedule.


Feel free to read up on what our patients are saying about us!

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