Root Canals in Minneapolis

Are root canals painful?

There is a generally broad public opinion and popular consensus that root canals are very painful. In our experience if a root canal is in fact painful, then something is not being done correctly during the procedure.

In fact, generally speaking, pain during any dental procedure should never be great. The equating of dentistry and pain is — in our opinion and experience — a myth, a reality of the past that may once have been true, but that today — because of so many advances in modern dentistry — is simply not true.

The tooth's vulnerability

A tooth's nerve becomes exposed either by deep decay or by a tooth fracture, and is known as a pupal exposure. Once a pupal exposure occurs, the tooth dies and eventually requires extraction without further action being taken.

Procedural steps of saving a tooth's nerve exposure

The root canal is the first step in trying to save the tooth from the necessity of extraction. During this step, the tooth's nerve is removed. This essentially saves the tooth from the necessity of extraction, but weakens it because, without a nerve, the tooth becomes non-vital (i.e., dead).

After undergoing a root canal, therefore, a tooth must be further protected. More protection is necessary, because the non-vital tooth is weak and can easily fracture. Consequently, the tooth is covered in a second step with a protective crown. The crown protects the weakened tooth from fracturing.

Read more about root canals from the American Dental Association