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When someone says the word “root canal”, what is the first thing you think of? Pain? Relief? Today is Root Canal Appreciation Day! We can appreciate either, that we have a root canal, that someone else has one, or that we don’t have to have one.
Even though a root canal is uncomfortable, it is probably better to have one done than to keep the infected tooth. According to dictionary.com, a root canal is “A treatment in which diseased tissue from this part of the tooth is removed and the resulting cavity is filled with an inert material”.
According the ADA, in the 18th century toothaches were commonly taken care of by removing the infected tooth. They sometimes tried to save a bad tooth by putting leeches on it to help cauterize it or by transplanting a tooth from someone else. In the 19th century they used orange wood or gold to fill the tooth. They started to use some pastes, but found that the pastes were irritating. In the 20th century, they used x-rays and sealing cement to fix infected teeth. Currently, modern technology makes the root canals more successful and faster than ever before.
Generally when people think about root canals they cringe and think of the pain. Here is a video of a painless root canal being done on a patient.
So celebrate Root Canal Appreciation Day! Call your dentist and make an appointment to get your teeth checked. I think we can all appreciate modern technology and be grateful that we don’t have to rely on leeches anymore.
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