Common myths about root canal treatment, explained

Myth: root canals are extremely painful

Modern root canal treatment is designed to relieve pain, not cause it. It's done under local anaesthetic, most people feel comfortable during it, and any soreness afterwards is usually mild and short-lived. The pain people remember comes from the infection inside the tooth, which is exactly what the treatment removes.

Afterwards the tooth and the area around it may feel tender for a few days, and swelling or soreness can take a couple of weeks to settle fully. Over-the-counter painkillers usually cover it.

Myth: root canals cause cancer or other illness

There's no credible scientific evidence that root canal treatment causes cancer, heart disease, arthritis or any other disease elsewhere in the body. The idea goes back to the "focal infection" theory of the early 1900s, which was based on flawed research done before modern sterilisation and microbiology, and has since been discredited.

Myth: it's better to pull the tooth

Whenever possible, the best tooth is the one you were born with. Keeping it maintains normal chewing, preserves the bone around it and stops the teeth beside it from shifting. Pulling a tooth usually leads to more work later, such as an implant or bridge, which costs more and takes longer.

Myth: root canal teeth don't last

More than 90% of root canal treatments succeed, and with proper care a treated tooth can last a lifetime. Long-term success depends on a good final restoration, good oral hygiene and regular check-ups.

A crown or cap is important. The tooth may already have been weakened by the cavity that reached the nerve, and chewing with heavy force on an unprotected tooth can break it.

Myth: baby teeth never need a root canal

If a baby tooth has a deep cavity and isn't due to fall out for a while, it can have root canal treatment too. That keeps it in place, holding space until the adult tooth is ready to come through.

What actually happens

1. An X-ray shows the extent of the infection, and the tooth is numbed.
2. A small opening is made in the top of the tooth.
3. The infected nerve (the pulp) is removed and the canals are cleaned and shaped.
4. The canals are filled and sealed, and the opening is closed with a temporary filling.
5. At a follow-up visit, a permanent filling or crown is placed.

Most root canals take one to two visits, and appointments can last an hour or two. Signs that you may need one include a deep cavity, a cracked tooth, an injury, and pain or swelling around a tooth. If you have any of them, don't wait for the pain to settle, because the infection won't.