If your only knowledge of dental procedures comes from pop culture, you may think of root canals as the most dreaded dental procedure.
We often see characters on television or movie screens sitting in a dentist’s chair, wriggling with pain during a root canal. Unfortunately, this isn’t the reality of the situation, and it makes many people afraid to deal with what they believe is a rare procedure.
Thanks to advances in dental care and anesthetics, the procedure is completely safe and frequently completed by experienced family dentists.
What Are Root Canals?
Root canals clean out the infected tissue in a given tooth and then stabilize the issue so you can avoid a complete tooth extraction and implant.
Once the procedure has been completed, you will likely feel less pain in comparison to the pain caused by the infection. Amazingly, most patients only report some soreness after the procedure.
Since root canals are one of the standard procedures done for infected or fractured teeth, they’re also incredibly common.
How Common are Root Canals?
Endodontists, dentists who specialize in tooth pain and infection, perform about 25 root canals in an average week as this is their area of specialty. General dentists perform two in an average week along with their other procedures.
All dentists are trained on how to do root canals, so you can stick with your family dentist and still have long-lasting relief.
How Many Root Canals are Performed in a Year?
According to root canal statistics, there are over 15 million root canal procedures completed in a given year, which averages to about 41,000 root canals in a day. This means that you’ll likely know someone who has had a root canal.
How Many Root Canals Does the Average Person Have?
While you’d hope you don’t have to deal with root canal pain more than once, plenty of people have more than one.
Worldwide, about half the adult population has had one root canal in their life. In the United States, about a third of adults have had at least one.
How many an adult may have will depend on their age and the likelihood of developing cavities. Older people frequently have multiple as their enamel weakens with age. If you have conditions that result in weaker enamel or play sports, you will be more likely to need a root canal.
Fractured teeth are just as prone to infection as a tooth with a cavity. If you are at risk, you may need to see your family dentist more than the recommended twice a year.
Don’t Ignore Your Dental Health
Regular dental checkups can catch a cavity before it gets deep enough to reach the pulp of your tooth. By the time you start feeling pain and sensitivity, you may already need a root canal.
Whether you just want to treat your cavities or fix your dental pain, Heroes Dental is here for you. We know that dental pain can be a miserable experience and we want to help you find the relief you need.
Don’t wait for your dental pain to get worse, make your appointment today!