Many Patients Have Misconceptions About Root Canal Treatment, Survey Finds

Dentistry Today  (4/27) reported that “DentaVox recently surveyed 5,562 patients from around the world about their attitudes about root canal treatment to gauge the accuracy of their perceptions.” Among the findings, “87% of respondents correctly recognized that non-treated tooth decay may lead to root canal infections,” and about 50% of respondents “believe that root canal treatment is preferable to extracting the ailing tooth.” Approximately a third of respondents believe root canal treatment “kills” the tooth, and “more than half of the respondents believe that dentists remove the roots of the tooth during treatment, though that is not the case.” In addition, “50% of respondents mistakenly believe that pregnant women should avoid root canal treatment.”