Myths about root canal treatment: Endodontic therapy removes the tooth's roots.

Endodontic therapy, as a process, involves cleaning, disinfecting and then off sealing the hollow space that lies inside a tooth. This is that area, the tooth's root canals and pulp chamber, that was originally occupied by the tooth's pulp tissue ("nerve" tissue).

Only the inner aspects of a tooth's roots experience change during endodontic therapy.

It is true that during endodontic treatment some tooth structure is filed away from the walls of a tooth's root canals, thus widening and enlarging them to a small degree. Doing so removes embedded contaminates and creates a canal shape that can be more effectively sealed. The amount that must be removed so to accomplish these tasks is very minimal.

No other changes with a tooth's roots take place.

Besides that, root canal treatment doesn't involve any other aspect of a tooth's roots. Absolutely nothing in regards to a root's overall shape, size or its relationship with the bone and associated tissues that encase it are changed or altered during root canal treatment.

The concept of "removing a tooth's roots" just doesn't make any logical sense.

The whole idea that during endodontic treatment that the roots of a tooth could be removed is really nonsensical. The roots are that portion of a tooth that anchor it in the jawbone. If a tooth's roots were removed, the tooth would no longer be attached to our body. The whole idea of "removing a tooth's roots" would be more akin to having tooth extracted, as opposed to having root canal treatment.