Are Root Canals Safe?

Have you been told that you need a root canal? Or do you suspect that you need one? You may be worried about this procedure due to common misconceptions about it. But it provides a safe way to save infected teeth — and even improve your well-being overall!

What Are Root Canal Myths?

A few you might have heard include:

• They’re extremely painful
• They can make you sick
• It’s better to have your tooth pulled

None of these are accurate. In fact, this endodontic procedure provides a safe treatment for tooth infections that protects your natural teeth and your health.

How Safe Are Root Canals?

The American Association of Endodontists states that millions of root canals are done safely each year. Misconceptions about them are based on outdated fears and info. This procedure doesn’t raise the risk of illness — and advancements in technology have made it even safer and more comfortable!

What Technologies Help Enhance Safety?

Advancements in endodontic technology have made root canals safer procedures with minimal discomfort and better accuracy. This helps successfully treat tooth infections — and reduces the risk of losing permanent teeth!

Let’s go over some of the top technologies that have helped improve root canal procedures in recent years.

GentleWave for Thoroughness

Removing all of the infected material from a tooth’s pulp helps ensure thorough treatment. But doing this the traditional way with files may not achieve these results. Files can leave infected tissue and harmful bacteria inside teeth, leading to ongoing or more severe infections.

GentleWave Technology provides an effective way to completely remove all these and protect teeth from additional infections. This involves the following steps:

• Using fluid to create sound waves or multisonic energy
• Having multisonic energy loosen up infected matter and bacteria and dissolve it, even in spaces that are usually hard to access
• Using fluid to rinse infected material away and disinfect the root canal

GentleWave offers several benefits, including faster treatment, fewer appointments needed, and more comfort.

Dental Lasers for Improved Safety and Comfort

The use of laser technology allows endodontists to replace traditional techniques that involve using drills and files to enter and clean infected teeth. BIOLASE Waterlase technology uses a combination of air, water, and light or laser energy for root canals. This FDA-approved technology involves:

• Filling the canal with water
• Generating laser or light energy to create pressure waves and small bubbles
• Allowing waves and bubbles to clear out bacteria

Relying on dental lasers like BIOLASE for these procedures helps minimize discomfort and soreness. It also lowers the risk of damage to surrounding tooth structures and requires less instrumentation.

Traditional procedures involve making the canal wider — potentially leading to cracks or other damage. Files used to clear out bacteria can also break, raising the risk of post-surgical complications.

Microscopes for Better Accuracy

Being able to magnify the inner parts of a tooth helps improve root canal results. Endodontists use microscopes for diagnostic and treatment purposes, such as locating canals that are hidden or harder to find.

During traditional procedures, microscopes help with finding files that may have broken off, so they can be removed. This helps reduce the risk of complications. Using magnification during root canals also helps lower the risk of having them fail — resulting in the need for retreatment.

Digital Imaging for Improved Diagnostics

How do endodontists make a diagnosis? Regular X-rays don’t quite provide enough detail for this, but advanced imaging techniques allow for more accurate diagnoses. Cone beam dental imaging — or cone beam computer tomography — creates highly detailed images. In fact, these images are 3D visualizations of the inner tooth.

Having this kind of imaging helps endodontists more accurately assess how much damage there is, where it is, and how severe it is, leading to improved diagnoses. During a root canal, digital images make it easier to ensure that an infected tooth is completely cleaned and sealed.

When You Might Need a Root Canal

Have you had persistent pain in one or more teeth? This is one sign that you might benefit from this procedure. Other signs include:

• Increased tooth sensitivity to cold and heat
• Gum swelling
• Loosened tooth due to infection
• Pain that flares up when chewing or touching a tooth
• Discolored tooth due to root damage and decay

If you’ve had any of these symptoms, have your tooth checked. Many conditions can cause them, making it important to get an accurate diagnosis and treatment recommendations.

Schedule a Visit with Our Endodontist

Not sure what’s causing your symptoms? We can help! Our endodontist, Dr. Rillman at Largo Endodontics, can evaluate the affected tooth and recommend treatment. If this ends up being a root canal, Dr. Rillman can perform this procedure using the latest technologies for better safety — and minimal discomfort.