Root canal treatment is generally preferred over a tooth extraction because it allows patients to keep their natural teeth and maintain their natural smiles. It is also a simple procedure that is almost always successful and results in only minor post-surgery pain.
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.
Root canal fillings take a lot longer than extractions. The procedure is intricate and the steps need to be completed in a set order for success.
Cons of Having a Root Canal
Dentists have to drill through the tooth in order to get to the pulp, and additional decay might have to be removed. If the tooth is too weak to function, the dentist will add a crown to it, which will strengthen the tooth and allow the patient to use it like a natural tooth.
Final Verdict: Save the Tooth if Possible
In addition, healing from an extraction takes longer and is often more painful than healing from a root canal, and pulling the tooth means even more dental procedures and healing time to replace it later. Still, pulling the tooth might be right for some situations.
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.
Root canal dangers for long-term health
The bacteria from your gums or the remnants of your infected tooth can easily spread through your bloodstream to the rest of your body and cause systemic problems.
Many people avoid having root canals due to rumors that the procedure will be painful or out of fear of complications from the procedure. Root canal treatments may have been painful decades ago but with modern dental technology and anesthetics, the procedure is only about as painful as having a filling placed.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Dental treatment alternatives to a root canal include direct pulp capping, pulpotomy, pulpectomy, endodontic retreatment, endodontic surgery, tooth extraction, dental implants, bridges, or dentures.
A tooth with a previous root canal: Teeth that have had root canals and have broken down are harder to remove than normal teeth. A root canal makes the tooth more brittle and susceptible to fracture during the extraction process making it more of a task for your dentist to remove the entire tooth.
Extraction: Comparing the benefits. Tooth extraction eliminates the pain and infection as your dentist removes your damaged tooth. The extraction cost is usually less expensive and does not require additional dental services after the extraction.
Why Do Dentists Insist on Root Canals Instead of Tooth Extraction? Because they want to maintain natural teeth as much as possible, most dentists will advocate root canal therapy over tooth extraction.
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.
The only alternative to a root canal treatment is to remove (extract) the tooth from the mouth.
What is the Typical Age for Root Canal Treatment? There is no specific age for root canal treatment. If any individual is experiencing a severe tooth infection, they may require root canal therapy in Yellowknife. However, it is more likely for an individual to require root canal therapy between the ages of 12 to 65.
It is estimated that 75% of root canal procedures are either unnecessary, because the tooth is still alive, or so infected, that the procedure is simply locking anaerobic bacteria into the bone, which might cause chronic inflammation (NICO-condensing osteitis) and possible long-term systemic medical damage.
Although many dental procedures are available to deal with minor decays and cavities, a root canal becomes imperative when the infection seeps into the pulp. In case you are wondering whether or not a tooth that needs a root canal can heal itself, the straightforward answer is no.
You must undergo a root canal within a few weeks to fully eliminate the infection and save your tooth.
A dead tooth can stay in your mouth for up to several days or months; however, keeping a dead tooth may lead to problems with your jaw and also result in the spreading of decay and bacteria to other teeth. Most dentists will recommend having the dead tooth extracted and replaced with a denture, bridge, or implant.
The usual factors which can be attributed to endodontic failure are: Persistence of bacteria (intra-canal and extra-canal) Inadequate filling of the canal (canals that are poorly cleaned and obturated) Overextensions of root filling materials.