Myths about root canal treatments

A root canal treatment involves cleaning the inner part of the tooth where dental pulp is located. This area contains nerves, blood´s vessels and other cells that give vitality to the tooth.  

If the dental pulp gets inflamed, pressure increases and pushes the nerve against the canal wall which produces pain. If this situation is not reversed, the dental pulp loses vitality and dies, causing an infection.

Root canal treatment resolve this inflammation by removing the contaminated tissue from the tooth. Therefore, a root canal treatment does not cause pain. In fact, it actually relieves pain!!! Moreover, this procedure is done under local anesthesia, providing even more relief.

A root canal treatment does not take too much time or many appointments. Today, we have equipment that allows us to complete treatment better and faster, usually in one or two 1-hour appointments.

Our clinic uses an apex locator that accurately determines the length of the canal. This locator also has rotary systems to clean the canal and equipment to fill and seal the tooth. Also,  magnification instruments and tomography for better precision.

Another misconception about root canal treatments is that they weaken the treated tooth. This is only true if, after the root canal, the remaining tooth is not properly reconstructed, leading to possible re-infection and fracture. However, proper reconstruction allows the tooth to last a very long time. The goal of the Gil Dental Group is to achieve this through a collaborative effort among our specialists.  

Our ultimate goal is to prevent these situations from happening in the first place. It is very important to keep teeth healthy and avoid the pain or infection associated with a dying tooth. Thus, in order to prevent severe oral problems, consult one of our professionals if you feel any discomfort in your teeth including sensitivity to hot, cold or sweet substances.