Are Root Canals Safe?

Sometimes, while doing research on procedures on the internet, a patient may come across some concerning information. And since the internet is an unregulated source of information, you may have guessed that sometimes that “information” is actually MIS-information. Unfortunately, thanks to old rumors that have resurfaced over the last few years, the root canal has unfairly been condemned on the internet as an unsafe procedure, even though this idea has been scientifically disproven, time and time again.

If you have been questioning the safety of any upcoming procedure, please don’t hesitate to contact us so we can do a thorough review with you and hopefully alleviate your fears. In the meantime, however, we will zero in and set the record straight about root canals.

You may be surprised to learn that these rumors about root canal procedures go back almost 100 years (long before the internet). It all started in the 1920s with research by a Dr. Weston Price that suggested that the bacteria that sits in the root of the tooth could be disturbed and leaked during a root canal procedure, then spreading and causing diseases around the body. Needless to say this fear led to many unnecessary tooth extractions as dentists and patients panicked, refusing to have or perform the root canal procedure. Within a few years of Dr. Price’s focal infection theory being born, modern research techniques were able to discredit the findings. Additional studies were performed in the fifties and right on through to 2012, each debunking this old tale. But we know how rumors can persist on the internet.

In fact a root canal procedure is safer and offers a better overall health outcome for patients than tooth extractions as it preserves the original tooth.

If you still have concerns before an upcoming root canal procedure, don’t hesitate to contact our office. We understand these concerns and would like to help you make the right decision for your health and peace of mind.