Do root canals really work?? I have heard so many horror stories from people who have lost permanent teeth...

Answer 1

Hi there,

I had a root canal done once and when the time came to push that rubber stuff up into my tooth or whatever he was doing, he hit what nerve was left and I jumped 50feet outta my chair. After going thru all of that , 3 years later I ended up having to have the tooth pulled because if there is no nerve the tooth will die sooner or later. So back to the dentist I go, he pulls the tooth and 3 months later after everything had healed he put in a merlin bridge at the cost of 600.00 dollars (cdn) and it's only fell out a few times. This last time it fell out I didn't have the money or the nerve to go back to the dentist to have it put back in. It's been 6 months now since i fell out and I hope he can still put it back in my mouth. Next time it's suggested to me to have a root canal...hell can freeze over first, I'll just get er yanked! Be done with it once and for all!

Answer 2

Sometimes there is no choise whether or not to have a root canal clearing procedire.

If you have an infection (rotting) in your tooth tissue you have to clear it ol loose the tooth. If there is very little cavity, your dentist can clean it and just patch it up with the filling. However, if the infection went deep enough, clearing the infection might involve killing the tooth's nerve. The nerve of the tooth lives in the softer tissue. Once this tissue is affected by infection you cannot keep the tissue, and you cannot keep the nerve.

Your dentist will (and should) always try to avoid the procedure, if possible. Somethimes they will tell you "it is close to the nerve, but you might be lucky." The tooth without nerve doesn't receive the nutrients from the gum anymore. It is basically dead after the nerve is removed. It becomes a lot weaker. This is why many dentists offer to put some extra structural support when the nerve is removed.

If dentist did a bad job and didn't clean the infection thoroughly - this is when you get on eof those horror stories with swallen cheeck, terrible pain and so on.

Once there is a neccesity for a root canal, it is too late to ask if it "works" or not. Your choises are limited to trying to save the tooth by trying the root calnal or removing the tooth alltogether.

Sorry, I'm no comfort...

Answer 3

Well, they didn't necessarily lose their permanant tooth, they are keeping it, but are taking out the nerve in the root and replacing it with Gutta Percha (a rubber like substance). Sometimes the tooth might be so decayed they will also need a crown.

I would love to know what horror stories you are talking about, I would think it be more horrific for people to deal with the pain of a dying root, or decay that is causing a toothache!

Answer 4

Root canals are about 95% successful. Usually, root canals tend to fail because the patient doesn't follow up with a crown.

Answer 5

i too had heard the horror stories and when i was told i needed one, my initial response was "just pull it then". but, my dentist told me why i should keep it and he did a fabulous job. been at least ten years now and never had any problems with it or the crown.