Root canal treatment is typically expensive and takes more time than a tooth extraction. However, if the tooth is severely damaged or the infection has spread, a root canal may not be possible, and extraction may be your only option.
In most cases, root canal therapy is a better way to treat an infected tooth than an extraction. However, there are exceptions, such as if the tooth has suffered extreme damage. Your dentist will carefully analyze your oral health before making a treatment recommendation.
A root canal treatment has a general reputation for being a costlier and more painful procedure. In comparison, tooth extraction may appear to be the lesser of two evils. However, when given the option, a root canal treatment should always be the preferred choice as it serves to retain the natural tooth in the mouth.
Extractions typically address an infected tooth if it is one of your wisdom teeth, but root canals are often recommended for the rest of your teeth. You will have to decide between a root canal and an extraction when a tooth has severe decay and infection.
In general, tooth extraction is less expensive than undergoing a root canal procedure. However, removal of a tooth might result to in higher costs later on. That's because shifting may occur among your remaining teeth to try to fill in the space.
Dental treatment alternatives to a root canal include direct pulp capping, pulpotomy, pulpectomy, endodontic retreatment, endodontic surgery, tooth extraction, dental implants, bridges, or dentures.
Pulpotomy is commonly done on children, and it is performed on adults as a temporary substitute for a root canal.
Tooth infections are severe and generally need people to be treated with antibiotics before proceeding with the removal. In such cases, dentists prefer performing endodontic therapy to preserve the tooth. However, if the tooth's internal structure is affected, the only alternative available is to extract the tooth.
Root Canals Aren't Possible with Severe Infection
If the deepest layers of the pulp become infected, it may be too late to save the tooth. In addition, if a large portion of the tooth is lost and a crown cannot be placed on what's left, root canal treatment is no longer a viable solution.
What is the most difficult tooth to extract? Impacted wisdom teeth are wisdom teeth that have failed to erupt properly. They are generally considered to be the most difficult teeth to extract.
Generally if the tooth nerve is not infected when the root is fractured off, the root can be left behind safely-especially if the root is less than 2mm in length. It is sometimes safer to leave the root behind than to chase after it. The root remanent may then get embedded in the bone and remain indefinitely.
Why are root canals necessary? Root canals are a simple procedure that are recommended to save damaged, natural teeth and prevent the need for dental bridges and implants. Root canals are necessary when the pulp, or soft tissue, inside the tooth becomes inflamed or infected, which could lead to an abscess.
What are the dangers? The bacteria that is left behind during a Root Canal can cause many health problems. While certain bacteria is common in the mouth, when it has led to an infection it becomes dangerous. Some of the conditions that may occur include malaise, inflammation and abscess in the head or neck.
You may need to have a tooth extracted if: Periodontal disease has badly infected the tooth. The tooth is badly damaged and cannot be restored by a filling or a crown. You are suffering from pain even after a filling, crown, or treatment for a root canal.
Nerve injury
It can cause pain, a tingling sensation and numbness in your tongue, lower lip, chin, teeth and gums. The damage is usually temporary, lasting for a few weeks or months. However, it can be permanent if the nerve has been severely damaged.
Extracting or removing a tooth that has died is a relatively simple relatively painless form of treatment. You should expect to receive either local or general anesthesia for the procedure, depending on your preference or the recommendation of your dentist.
Typically, your oral surgeon will ask that you at least take about 48-72 hours to relax afterward so the treatment area is allowed to clot. After that, a patient should be able to return to normal physical activity. The soft tissue will usually fully heal in about 3-4 weeks.
If you wait to have a root canal, you're only providing that infection more time to gain strength and spread. Infection can spread from the tooth into the bloodstream, and then you have a much more serious issue than a common and routine dental practice.
If you delay root canal treatment, the oral infection continues to get worse, and it can even lead to a very serious condition called septicemia — when the localized infection from your tooth spreads through your body. This can quickly become a dangerous health situation that you want to avoid at all costs.
Just like any other medical procedure, early prevention and intervention can save you from getting a root canal. In most cases, a root canal is needed when a cavity gets deep and close to the pulp (nerve) of the tooth.
You must either do a root canal or remove the tooth to eliminate the infection. If you have a root canal, the infected tissue is removed, the area is cleaned and then sealed against more bacteria entering it. Removing your tooth removes the tooth from the presence of your oral bacteria.
If tooth decay progresses to the point of infection, a dentist may recommend removal. Extraction can help a dentist get to the infected or dead tissue, remove it, and successfully alleviate the pain.
To summarize, a dentist can easily pull an infected tooth out. However, to prevent the bacteria from infecting other sites, dentists prefer to either drain the abscess or reduce the infection with the help of antibiotics first. This way, there won't be any alarming results after.
The short answer is no, a tooth that needs a root canal cannot heal itself naturally. The long answer is fairly straightforward. The infected tissue inside a tooth cannot heal by itself and will only get worse over time if left untreated. Even if you experience no pain, you should still seek treatment.