Our Blog
19
Mar
Fewer Americans Fear Root Canals
If the most recent survey results from the American Association of Endodontists are to be believed, then fewer Americans fear root canals than in the past. More of us are also looking to save our natural teeth, which is the primary goal of a root canal.
Survey In Advance of Root Canal Awareness Week
Although the majority of Americans still fear a root canal (54%), this is lowest number ever recorded by the survey. It’s also a 10% drop from the number that feared root canals in 2013 (60%). The survey also showed that more than three-quarters of Americans (76%) wanted to preserve their natural teeth, which is the goal of a root canal. The American Association of Endodontists released this survey in advance of Root Canal Awareness Week, March 30 to April 5.
A root canal (also called an endodontic procedure) is used when an infected tooth is in danger of being lost or even spreading infection to other teeth and the rest of your body. The newly preserved tooth is protected with a dental crown, and this leads to a tooth that remains strong for many years. Some recent research even suggests that teeth restored with a root canal last longer than dental implants.
Image used with permission from author Dr. Jeremy Kemp
An Undeserved Reputation
Let’s be honest: a root canal has a reputation as being one of the worst procedures you might have to endure in dentistry or any other medical field. This reputation comes down from the days when there were few anesthetics available, and anesthetic techniques were crude. These days, with a combination of anesthetics and sedation dentistry (which reduces the stress that can increase your pain), root canals are procedures that result in only mild discomfort–typically much less than a person with an infected tooth experiences on a daily basis.
And new imaging techniques like cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) increase the success rate, safety, and speed of a root canal while decreasing the discomfort.
If you suspect you may need a root canal procedure, please contact Nicolas A. Ravon, DDS, MSD in Beverly Hills today for an appointment.