Social media posts claim that root canal treatment is dangerous to the immune system. This is false; dental experts say the procedure -- which leaves a treated tooth in place, allowing a patient to maintain their natural smile and avoid costly implants -- is not linked to systemic disease, and can eliminate the cause of pain or swelling in the mouth.

"Dentists are the only physicians that believe you can get away with leaving dead tissue in the body. One root canal tooth can shut down 63% of your immune system," says a January 8, 2022 Facebook post.

The image, which is sourced to the Instagram account @PlantRomance, based in Winnipeg, Canada. It has been reposted on the site here and here, and on Facebook here, here and here.

A root canal treatment involves the removal of infected or injured tissue from inside a tooth. The procedure is often recommended to treat a deep cavity or a cracked, fractured or damaged tooth.

Garry Myers, director of the advanced education program in endodontics at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the posts incorrectly refer to the tooth treated with a root canal as dead tissue.

"When we do a root canal, what we're actually removing is the dead or diseased tissue that's inside the tooth," he said, explaining that the procedure is often performed by endodontists or dentists who have received additional, specialized training.

Myers said the first objective of a root canal is to remove diseased tissue. Then the tooth is disinfected and filled...

Read Full Story: https://factcheck.afp.com/http%253A%252F%252Fdoc.afp.com%252F9VW9JA