Few dental procedures carry as much unearned fear as the root canal. Most of that reputation comes from decades-old experiences and pop culture, not from what the treatment is actually like today.
Myth: Root canals are extremely painful
In reality, modern anesthesia makes the procedure itself comparable to getting a filling. The pain patients associate with root canals is usually from the infection that made the treatment necessary in the first place — the treatment is what relieves that pain, not what causes it.
Myth: It's better to just pull the tooth
Saving your natural tooth is almost always preferable to extraction. Natural teeth maintain bone structure and bite function better than most replacement options, and a root canal is specifically designed to preserve the tooth rather than remove it.
Myth: Root canals cause illness elsewhere in the body
This claim traces back to research from the early 1900s that has been thoroughly discredited and is not supported by modern dental or medical research. Root canals are a routine, well-studied procedure performed millions of times each year.
Myth: Recovery takes a long time
Most patients return to normal activities the next day, with mild soreness that resolves within a few days — a similar recovery to a standard filling.
If fear of the unknown is what's holding you back, ask your dentist to walk you through exactly what your specific procedure will involve. Specifics tend to be a lot less scary than the general idea.