Introduction
Root canal treatment is a safe, quick, and painless procedure to save teeth. Root canal treatments are a common dental procedure used to treat a damaged or infected tooth. However, there have been concerns raised regarding the safety of root canals, and some individuals have expressed worries that the procedure may cause cancer. Many people are scared of root canal treatment (RCT) because they lack knowledge of the procedure. In addition, there is a myth related to root canal treatment that it is unhealthy and can cause cancer. As a result, people avoid having treatment with RCT. However, all these concepts are false about RCT.
What Is a Root Canal?
Humans have 32 teeth. The main function of teeth is chewing food. The tooth is divided into two parts: crown and root. The crown is a part of the tooth that is present and visible in the mouth. The root is a part of the tooth inside the bone and is not visible in the mouth. The function of the root is to provide nutrients, blood, and nerve supply. Dental infection sometimes infects the tooth and damages the root canals (the canal inside the root carries nutrients). Root canal treatment (RCT) treats dental infections. RCT is a procedure by which infected pulp is replaced by artificial pulp. The main purpose of root canal therapy (RCT) is the removal of the causative-bacterial, chemical, mechanical, and physical etiological agents.
The following are the conditions in which RCT is done to treat the condition:
-
Dental caries (damage of tooth done by bacterial agents).
-
Pain in the tooth.
-
Inflammation of the tooth.
-
Periodontitis (inflammation of the gums).
-
A periapical abscess (a pus-filled in the root canal).
-
Open or closed cavity (cavity formed by the activity of the bacteria).
-
History of traumatic dental injury (tooth injury during an accident).
-
Pulpitis (inflammation of the pulp).
What Is the Need for a Root Canal?
Root canal treatment treats dental conditions and infections. Multiple factors can cause inflammation of the tooth, which can spread and damage the tooth. The oral cavity can suffer negative effects from traumatic or infectious dental pulp damage. An infection of the tooth pulp stimulates microorganisms to grow in an apical direction, penetrate, and colonize the periapical tissues. It is uncertain how long an infection process may last. There are different forms of organic defenses, depending on the virulence of the microbes.
The following are the advantages of the RCT:
-
It treats infection of the tooth.
-
It treats the inflammation of the tooth.
-
It prevents the progression and spread of the disease.
-
It relieves the symptoms of the patients.
-
It treats pain.
-
It saves our teeth and prevents the loss of the tooth (extraction).
-
It induces anti-microbial action in the root canal of the teeth.
-
It treats the abscess.
-
It is an inexpensive and painless procedure.
What Is the Success of Root Canal?
The first impression to forecast a potential outcome of RCT favors the understanding of the general clinical condition (systemic health of the patient) and local (clinical condition of the teeth). However, regardless of the clinical circumstances, success is the anticipated result following root canal therapy (RCT). But determining success typically necessitates accepting a reference or set of criteria and assuming that the patient is in good health. When the tooth is functional and fully healed, it is said that RCT is finished. Success in RCTs is linked to predictive elements foreclosing the need for interventions and establishing the end of the course of therapy. In addition, the absence of disease (such as a root canal infection or periapical inflammation) is related to the tooth's success. Pain, periodontitis, inflammation, and tooth infection are all avoided with effective RCT.
What Is the Relation Between Root Canal and Cancer?
There is no scientific evidence to suggest that root canals cause cancer. In fact, the American Association of Endodontists (AAE) has stated that there is no valid scientific evidence linking root canal-treated teeth and cancer. Root canals are generally safe and effective at treating dental problems. The procedure involves removing the infected or damaged pulp from inside the tooth, cleaning the area, and then filling and sealing the tooth to prevent further infection. When performed by a trained and experienced dental professional, root canals are highly successful, with a success rate of over 95 %. Therefore there is no relationship between root canals and cancer.
What Are the Myths of Root Canal?
Many believe that endodontic procedures, such as root canals, are painful or unhealthy and should be avoided at all costs. It is exactly the opposite. It is simple to avoid the discomfort, trouble, and expense of postponing endodontic therapy in favor of tooth extraction or a wait-and-see strategy. Furthermore, the likelihood of tooth saving decreases when patients opt out of treatment.
The following are the myths of RCT:
-
It is a painful procedure. Modern techniques enhance the use of anesthesia before performing RCT. Anesthesia is an agent that makes patients insensitive to pain. Despite this myth, RCT can treat toothache caused by the infection. It is the quickest and safest procedure for managing toothache and dental infections.
-
A root canal causes cancer. There is no relationship between root canal treatment and cancer. People claim that after RCT, the patient may probably develop cancer, but that is completely false. There is no evidence in support of this literature. Furthermore, no cases have been found till now that favor this misconception.
-
Root canals are not successful is also a myth circulated on the internet. This is also completely false. As discussed above, RCT is the management of toothache.
-
Extraction of the teeth is better than RCT. Extraction is the procedure of taking out infectious teeth from the mouth, whereas RCT saves the teeth. Root canal treatment is an option to save infectious teeth. It is always better to save than lose teeth. RCT preserves the function of teeth and also supports the adjacent teeth.
Conclusion
Dental infections can be prevented by maintaining oral hygiene. Oral hygiene can be maintained by brushing properly, flossing, visiting the dentist twice a year for regular checkups, and avoiding smoking or chewing tobacco. Root canal treatments are the safest and quickest way to treat tooth infections. In light of all the knowledge that has been learned over the past few years, the state of RCT is hopeful. Dentists (a doctor who treats problems related to the mouth) use various instruments and newer techniques for safer root canal treatment. The life of a root canal-treated tooth depends on the patient's and doctor’s skills. There is no evidence in support of RCT having the potential to cause cancer. Keeping aside these baseless myths, people should opt for RCT to treat their infections.
