Few dental procedures carry more unnecessary fear than root canals. Mention them in conversation and most people grimace. Ask why, and the answers are almost always rooted in outdated information, second-hand stories, or things people read on the internet years ago. As a dentist, I hear root canal concerns regularly, and the disconnect between what patients expect and what the procedure actually involves is striking. At Dentistry in Motion in North York, we want patients to make decisions based on accurate information, not fear. Here are five of the most persistent root canal myths and what the evidence actually shows.
Myth 1: Root Canals Are Extremely Painful
This is the most deeply held misconception about root canals, and it is also the most outdated. The idea that root canals are agonizing likely traces back decades, to a time before modern local anesthesia and refined technique made the procedure reliably comfortable. That reputation has lingered long past its expiry date.
The reality is that root canals relieve pain rather than cause it. Patients typically arrive for the procedure in significant discomfort from the infected or inflamed pulp tissue that prompted treatment in the first place. The procedure removes that source of pain. Most patients report that the experience feels similar to having a filling placed.
Modern local anaesthetics are highly effective at numbing the treatment area. Dentists use refined injection techniques that minimize the discomfort of the injection itself, and additional anaesthetic is always available if needed during the procedure. A 2016 study published in the Journal of Endodontics found that the vast majority of patients rated root canal treatment as painless or associated with only mild discomfort. The procedure’s painful reputation simply does not match the current clinical reality.
If you have avoided root canal treatment because of anticipated pain, that concern deserves an honest reassessment. The infection causing your symptoms is almost certainly more painful than the treatment designed to eliminate it.
Myth 2: Root Canals Cause Illness
This myth has circulated persistently online for years, often attributed to research from the early 20th century suggesting that root canal treated teeth could cause systemic diseases. The claim sounds alarming, and it has led some patients to refuse treatment or even request extraction of treated teeth based on this concern.
The science does not support it. The original research this claim traces back to was conducted in the 1920s by a researcher named Weston Price, whose methodology has since been thoroughly discredited by the broader scientific community. His conclusions rested on flawed experimental techniques that would not meet any modern research standard.
Current scientific consensus, supported by the American Association of Endodontists and multiple systematic reviews of modern research, finds no credible evidence linking root canal treated teeth to systemic illness. The Canadian dental and medical communities share this position. Root canal treatment removes infected tissue, disinfects the canal space, and seals the tooth to prevent reinfection. It eliminates a bacterial source rather than creating one.
Leaving an infected tooth untreated, by contrast, allows bacteria to spread to surrounding bone and potentially to other areas of the body. Choosing extraction over root canal treatment does not reduce health risk. In most cases, it increases it while also removing a functional tooth unnecessarily.
Myth 3: Extraction Is a Better Option Than a Root Canal
Many patients assume that pulling a tooth is simpler, cheaper, and more final than saving it with root canals. In some cases, extraction is genuinely the right choice. But for a tooth that can be saved, extraction trades one problem for several others.
Losing a tooth creates a gap that allows neighbouring teeth to shift over time. The bone beneath the extraction site begins to resorb without a tooth root to stimulate it. This bone loss is gradual but progressive, and it affects the stability of adjacent teeth and the overall structure of the jaw over years. Replacing the missing tooth with an implant, bridge, or partial denture carries its own cost and treatment timeline, often exceeding what root canal treatment and a crown would have required in the first place.
A natural tooth that has been treated and properly restored with a crown can function normally for many years and in many cases for a lifetime. Saving the tooth maintains bone volume, preserves the natural bite relationship, and avoids the cascade of consequences that follow extraction. When root canals can save a tooth, that is almost always the better long-term choice.
Myth 4: Root Canals Require Many Painful Appointments
Some patients picture weeks of repeated, uncomfortable dental visits when they hear that root canal treatment is recommended. This picture is inaccurate for most cases.
The majority of root canals complete in one to two appointments. The first appointment involves removing the infected or inflamed pulp tissue, cleaning and shaping the canal space, and placing a temporary seal. Many straightforward cases involve only this single visit, with a follow-up appointment to place the permanent restoration. More complex cases, such as teeth with multiple curved canals or significant infection, may require a second cleaning appointment before the final seal is placed.
Modern rotary endodontic instruments have transformed the efficiency of canal cleaning and shaping. These flexible, motorized files navigate the complex internal anatomy of root canals more precisely and quickly than manual instruments alone. What once required extended appointments with considerable chairtime now proceeds far more efficiently.
After the root canal itself, the tooth requires a permanent restoration, typically a crown for back teeth, to protect the remaining structure. This is a separate appointment from the root canal but is an essential final step rather than additional treatment.
At Dentistry in Motion, we walk every patient through the anticipated number of appointments and what each one involves before treatment begins. There are no surprises about the process or the timeline.
Myth 5: If the Tooth Doesn’t Hurt, It Doesn’t Need Treatment
Some patients question why root canal treatment is recommended when their tooth does not currently cause significant pain. This confusion is understandable, but it reflects a common misunderstanding about how dental infection progresses.
In the early stages of pulp infection, a tooth may be extremely sensitive and painful. But as the infection advances and the pulp tissue dies, pain can decrease or disappear entirely. This does not mean the infection has resolved. It means the nerve tissue can no longer register the signal. The infection continues to spread into the surrounding bone, often showing as a dark area called a periapical lesion on the X-ray, even as the patient feels nothing.
Waiting for pain to guide treatment decisions means waiting until the infection has caused significant damage or until an acute flare-up brings the patient to an emergency dentist with swelling and fever. X-rays and clinical assessment reveal what patient symptoms alone cannot. When your dental team recommends root canals based on radiographic and clinical findings, that recommendation reflects the full picture, not just what you feel on a given day.
Addressing the infection while it is still contained to the tooth and immediate surrounding bone gives the best chance of a straightforward, successful outcome. Delaying treatment allows the infection to progress and can complicate or eventually eliminate the option of saving the tooth at all.
What Modern Root Canal Treatment Actually Looks Like
For patients who have never had root canal treatment, here is a straightforward picture of what to expect at Dentistry in Motion.
The area is numbed with local anesthetic before anything begins. Once fully numb, a small rubber dam isolates the tooth to keep it dry and clean during treatment. Your dentist accesses the pulp chamber through a small opening in the top of the tooth. The infected tissue is removed, and the canals are cleaned and shaped using specialized instruments. An antimicrobial solution flushes the canal space to eliminate remaining bacteria. The cleaned canals are filled with a biocompatible material called gutta-percha and sealed.
Most patients feel pressure and movement during the procedure but no sharp pain. The appointment typically takes between 60 and 90 minutes for a straightforward case. Some tenderness in the area for a few days afterward is normal and manageable with over-the-counter pain relief. Most patients return to their regular daily activities the following day.
The procedure is far removed from its reputation, and most patients who have experienced modern root canals report being surprised by how manageable it actually was.
Book Your Consultation at Dentistry in Motion
If you have been told you need root canal treatment, or if you have been putting off a dental assessment because of concerns about what it might involve, the right step is a conversation with a dental team you trust. Dentistry in Motion is located at 700 Lawrence Avenue West, Suite 206 in North York, with convenient hours Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 7 pm and Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm.
Call us at 416-785-7619 or email secure@dentistryinmotion.com to book your appointment. Root canals have an undeserved reputation, and we are here to give you the accurate picture so you can move forward with confidence.
