Endodontic or commonly known as root canal treatment is necessary when the dentin, a soft tissue called pulp, is decayed, infected, or damaged. When left untreated, one may experience severe pain and cause abscess. While root canal treatment’s main objective is saving the teeth and bring back smile on the patients there are some myths surrounding it. One of the most dangerous myths is root canal causes cancer. We feel that it is our responsibility to debunk this myth as we have successfully carried out lot of root canal treatment in Pune.
It is quite natural for any patient to search the internet or any other source before going for a treatment to know about the procedures. There are some sites that mislead people without any scientific evidences. The information about root canal associated with cancer or any other diseases is not true and not a valid fact. Root canal treatment saves the natural tooth, eliminates the bacterial infection and prevents further infection and protects the tooth.
There are few sites in the internet that considers Dr.Weston Price’s research as evidence. His research was carried out in 1920’s and the same was later discredited with the help of modern techniques. In fact the Journal of the American Dental association reviewed the techniques used in the research by Dr. Price and observed that his research lacked many important scientific aspects with improper data and sample. Moreover, researches by American Medical Association reveal that there is 45% reduced risk of cancer with multiple endodontic treatments.
Apart from cancer, the other prevailing and misleading information is that the root canal causes kidney, heart, gastrointestinal and other such diseases. The information on the internet about root canal and its disadvantages are completely misleading without any valid scientific evidence. There are few internet sites that mention about bacterial presence. The bacterial presence in the mouth is unavoidable and it is not an infection to create any illness as our immune system fights it naturally. In fact studies have again and again proved there is no link between dental procedures and any systemic disease. We would like to debunk the misconception that tooth extraction is better than root canal. Absolutely false and it should be noted that while tooth extraction may be required in some cases, root canal helps to save the permanent tooth.
Another common misconception about root canal is that it is a painful procedure. But the truth is the pain may be due to the infection but not because of treatment. Adoption of modern techniques aids the doctor to treat effectively and the result is always successful. Apart from preventing infection, the biggest advantage of root canal is saving the natural teeth. The treated teeth are further protected with a filling or a crown. The best suitable treatment methodology is decided by the dentist after careful examination.
Root canal is an intricate procedure that helps the patients to get rid of infection and pain by means of effective treatment. With high quality of patient care as aim, we also consider it as our responsibility to clear any doubts to instill confidence about the treatment. So if you experience any tooth pain, we advise to immediately visit your dentist and if root canal treatment is recommended, one can undergo the procedure without any fear.
Dr. Nitin Oswal
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