So when the dentist says you need a root canal, what is the alternative?
Not all dentists are taught the same. They may be able to do something less drastic than the dentists who would just do the typical root canal.
Plus there have been refinements to dealing with teeth issues even since we were kids. Dentists dealing with cavities back 40 years ago drilled quite a bit of the tooth away. This causes problems later in life because its easier to crack off part of a cusp as you age. Nw they make far less impact on your tooth prefering to kep as much of the structure as they can.