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. 5.
Tooth extraction is necessary when the natural tooth is beyond saving, or the patient prefers an extraction over a root canal. Before an extraction, an oral surgeon or general dentist administers anesthesia and then simply pulls the tooth from its socket.
Dental treatment alternatives to a root canal include direct pulp capping, pulpotomy, pulpectomy, endodontic retreatment, endodontic surgery, tooth extraction, dental implants, bridges, or dentures.
Keeping a tooth is the better option. Proper root canal treatment will save a tooth, and with good dental hygiene, it should last a lifetime, without the need for further treatment. With the original tooth, the line of your jaw stays firm, your teeth are healthy, and you will need fewer visits to the dentist.
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.
Nerve injury
Although far less common than dry socket, injury to sections of a nerve called the trigeminal nerve is another possible complication of wisdom tooth removal. It can cause pain, a tingling sensation and numbness in your tongue, lower lip, chin, teeth and gums.
Cracked or fragile teeth
The affected tooth may appear intact, but a close examination by the dentist may show that the tooth will fracture during extraction. The simple extraction procedure involves applying forces. Unfortunately, the same extraction forces may break the fragile tooth apart.
Your dentist may recommend a root canal when your tooth shows signs of infection or significant pulpal nerve damage. When a tooth is cracked or has a significant cavity, bacteria is able to enter the pulp, and if left untreated, can lead to serious infection, bone loss, or the loss of the tooth itself.
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.
Many dentists lack the experience and the skill to remove difficult teeth. Teeth that have had root canals, have long roots, or are ankylosed (fused) to your bone tissue are nightmares to take out for a lot of dental practitioners.
Root canals are perhaps the most feared dental treatments. 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.
Accumulation of unwanted materials: Cholesterol crystals can accumulate and irritate the tissues where the root canal was done, as well as scar tissue or cystic lesions. Immune system response: The procedure can cause an overactive immune response in your body, causing negative health impacts.
Irrigating the tooth cavity with Ozone gas is another alternative to root canal therapy. Ozone penetrates the tubules of the tooth beyond the drilled areas and the lateral tubules to disinfect the tooth beneath the enamel.
However, even though extraction is far preferable to leaving an infected tooth in the mouth, it can have detrimental effects in the future. In fact, if it is possible, a root canal is usually more preferable than extraction.
All dentists are qualified to perform emergency tooth extractions if and when necessary. Tooth extractions are a relatively common oral surgical procedure and may be necessary if your tooth is severely damaged or infected.
A common belief associated with infected or abscessed teeth is that they cannot be extracted until the infection has subdued. This is not true in a large number of cases where the best option to get rid of the infection is to remove the tooth.
As we look at the history of the tooth in question here are some things that are warning signs that the tooth may not be savable: The tooth is very loose. The tooth is completely broken off below the gumline. There is a dental abscess in the area.
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. 2.
The Consequences of Avoiding a Root Canal
If the infection is concerning and left untreated it can cause you to lose your tooth or part of your jaw or even lead to dental abscesses or a life-threatening stroke, sepsis, or heart attack. As the infection progresses so will the pain which will be excruciating.
Using specialized dental instruments, your dentist will gently loosen your tooth and carefully lift it from its socket. Sometimes, your dentist might need to make incisions in your gums to access your tooth — especially if your tooth is badly decayed or has broken off at the gum line.
A bone infection after tooth extraction is a dangerous ailment. If not treated, a patient can go into sepsis. Sepsis is an infection caused by anything (virus, bacterial, fungal) that enters the bloodstream and can impair flow to the vital organs in your system.
Dental patients sometimes assume that tooth extraction causes more pain than it alleviates, but this is not typically true. In fact, in many cases, extracting a tooth may be the only way to help a patient achieve complete pain relief.
If the nerve damage caused by your wisdom tooth extraction is fairly minor, the symptoms will usually disappear after a few days or weeks. However, more extensive nerve damage can take several months to heal and if the damage done was severe, sometimes the symptoms you experience may be permanent.
After you undergo a tooth extraction, you will need to replace the missing tooth or teeth. If the teeth are not replaced, the bones in your mouth can weaken and lose density. Other teeth also might shift, and you might experience trouble eating. Fortunately, you have several replacement options for missing teeth.