Your dentist just finished performing an oral examination and discovered that one of your teeth needs a root canal. The news causes you to become anxious about your upcoming procedure, so you decide that you’ll read about others’ experiences so that you’ll be better prepared. Unfortunately, doing your own research can cause you to stumble across an array of misinformation surrounding this tooth-saving method. Instead, keep reading to learn more about three common root canal myths so that you feel more confident saying “yes” to treatment.

Root canals are often recommended when a patient is suffering from an infected or damaged tooth. Although highly successful and designed to save natural teeth from extraction, this type of procedure can be avoided. To ensure that you do what is necessary to maintain better oral health, here are four things you can do to reduce your chances of needing a root canal, one of which is using your dental insurance.