If your dentist recently told you that you need a root canal, chances are the first thing you did when you got home was open a search engine to find out as much as you possibly could about this procedure. While the Internet can be a great place to conduct genuine research, it’s also chock-full of inaccurate information. This is especially true when it comes to misunderstood dental treatments like root canal therapy. There are a lot of scary rumors out there. To help set your mind at ease, let’s bust four root canal myths.

Even though we think it’ll never happen to us, a dental emergency can pop up at any time. Maybe you tripped and fell on the sidewalk, breaking off a piece of your tooth as you collided with the pavement. Maybe you’re suffering through a toothache so intense that it’s keeping you up at night. You might be unsure whether you should see your dentist or head straight to the hospital to get this problem sorted. Keep reading to learn when you should go to the ER and when you should leave your care in the hands of dental professionals.