Root canals: Are they as scary as they seem?

There are two words that can frighten people, even those who aren’t normally scared of the dentist – “root canal.” The words recall images of a long, intensive procedure that leaves the patient in pain.

But are root canals really that bad? Not according to Dr. Poorya Jalali, director of the graduate endodontics program at Texas A&M School of Dentistry. Root canals get a bad rap, he said.

A root canal is a relatively straightforward procedure. The tooth is hard on the outside, Jalali explained, but the inside is a softer tissue called the “pulp.” Sometimes the pulp can become infected. A root canal hollows out the infected tooth, removing the pulp and replacing it with filler.

Many people fear root canals because they’ve heard it is a very painful procedure. While that may have been true 50 years ago, Jalali said, modern dentistry has advanced so that root canals are quick and almost painless. Anesthetics have improved, and thanks to new technology such as 3D imaging, a root canal can be done in as little as a painless, hour-long session and leave the patient with little discomfort afterward.

“People fear the pain from the root canal, but often the pain is coming from the toothache that leads to the procedure,” Jalali said. “It’s important to understand that root canals are designed to relieve pain, not to cause it.”