Myths and Facts about Root canal treatment (RCT)- Let’s Clarify

Root canal treatment (RCT) could be the most common term known to you regarding dental treatment. That’s why my intention is to clear myths and deliver facts about RCT in this article. Let me start with a recent experience at my dental clinic. Before that, know what is RCT or Root canal treatment.

Whenever, a tooth is decayed deep till the depth, involving its blood vessels and nerves, you start feeling pain. Such a situation can also arise sometimes due to tooth fracture, trauma, deep tooth abrasion, or erosion. In such cases, the damaged blood vessels and nerves from inside the tooth are removed, and the empty spaces (known as Root canals) are cleaned, shaped, and filled with non-reactive materials. Later the cavity on the top is filled to restore the tooth to its original shape. Placing a crown over this restored tooth is advised to protect it from future damage. 

Read: How to choose a good dental clinic?

That evening, a middle-aged lady visited our dental clinic who was a high school teacher. She was suffering from severe toothache and wanted an extraction of the involved tooth. But Root canal treatment could have prevented the tooth from being removed, so, I tried to convince her to go for the RCT, but she refused. She had some strong preconceptions about the procedure, especially the pain from RCT and the low chances of its success. She was firm in her beliefs and I had to remove that tooth.

I believe she is not an exception. We encounter many such cases regularly in our dental clinic or our institution’s dental hospital. We come across a lot of myths and negative thoughts about Root canal treatment from the patients’ end. Hence, let us talk about the questions or confusion, or doubts you may have about Root canal treatment. I’ve listed (see below) a few important myths and the associated facts about RCT.

Root canal treatment is Painful

It’s not actually so. Though during the first visit, there are chances of pain, the dentist carries out the procedure under the cover of local anesthesia, which helps the patient not feel any pain. Further pain can be prevented by painkillers.

After the clinical procedure, patients are given painkillers to prevent chances of any further pain. In further sittings, there is every likelihood that there will be no pain and in the worst scenarios, the anesthesia can again be administered. Be assured Root canals are not at all painful.

Time-consuming

No, they usually take just two to three sittings of half an hour to forty-five minutes duration. Nowadays most doctors complete it in one sitting, however, this depends on many factors and always can not be done.

Root canal treatment is expensive

As compared to low-cost routine dental fillings or other minor dental procedures like tooth extraction, RCT may appear expensive.

If you compare the same with the cost of replacing the extracted/removed tooth with an artificial tooth (prosthesis/implants) it will work out much cheaper and cost-effective, with the additional advantage of your original tooth remaining intact in the oral cavity. Further, you don’t have to bear the psychological and physical pain of tooth extraction or the pain of losing a part of your body. So it is always a win-win situation, both financially and health point of view. 

Unsuccessful Procedure (Usually)

Root canal treatment can have maximum chances of success if it’s done correctly. However, it is the human body and not a mechanical instrument, hence the response cannot be predicted. That means that any treatment done at any hospital by any specialist can fail. the percentage of such cases usually is at most five percent. In most such cases when patients get pain even after a Root canal treatment, the tooth can be re-treated and cured.

Broken Dental Fillings

Teeth that undergo RCT invariably have large cavities and are badly decayed. Hence their fillings too are large and lack proper support and sometimes even strength. In such cases, to prevent the fillings from breaking off and coming out, it is always advisable to get capping done (crown/cap over the tooth).

Easy Tooth Breakage after Root canal treatment

If you are not following your dentist’s instructions (post-RCT) and ignoring care of the involved tooth then this issue might happen.

As already mentioned the tooth becomes brittle and weak after RCT and capping is advised immediately. after it. I frequently get cases, where the patient did not get the capping done and later the tooth broke and had to be removed. In such cases, both the money and time spent become waste. 

I am sure that now the misconceptions about Root canal treatment would have been cleared. Also, you will be in a better position to make a good and logical decision while facing a situation, whether to go for or not for the RCT.