When a painful toothache strikes, you should schedule an appointment with your emergency dentist as soon as possible. Before your appointment, however, you might have some questions about the treatment you will undergo. Perhaps you dislike the idea of root canal therapy even though it may be able to preserve your damaged tooth. A tooth extraction may be simpler, but perhaps you do not want to have an incomplete smile. Which treatment should you opt for? In this blog post, you will learn some facts about root canal vs extraction in Branford.
How Each Treatment Relieves Dental Pain
Severe toothaches are frequently the result of an infection or damage in a tooth’s pulp, its innermost chamber. The nerve inside the tooth becomes irritated, and it sends massive pain signals to the brain. An extraction handles the problem by removing the tooth, including the infected tissue and the nerve that was responsible for the pain.
Root canal therapy is a more conservative treatment. During the procedure, a dentist removes the damaged tissue and the nerve from inside the tooth. Then, they fill in the tooth with a special material called gutta percha. It is worth noting that, contrary to popular ideas, root canal therapy is not a painful treatment. Most patients feel little to nothing during the procedure.
Risks and Disadvantages
No dental or medical procedure is completely without risk. Risks of root canal therapy include:
- If a dentist is unable to remove all the bacteria from inside an infected tooth, you may need endodontic retreatment down the road. This is quite rare.
- A tooth is weaker after a root canal and becomes vulnerable to fractures. However, you can virtually eliminate this risk by investing in a high-quality crown.
- Some groups claim that root canal therapy can cause systemic illness. However, evidence to that effect is limited and of questionable quality.
Risks of a tooth extraction are more serious than those that come with root canal therapy. They include:
- The bone that once supported the tooth will begin to lose its volume and mass.
- Adjacent teeth may drift out of place, leading to a misaligned bite.
- The risk of future tooth loss increases.
Cost
A tooth extraction costs less than root canal therapy. However, in order to prevent jawbone deterioration and dental drift, you should consider getting a dental implant to replace the lost tooth. Implants are a remarkable treatment, but they can cost a significant amount of money. Because root canal therapy keeps your natural tooth in place, it eliminates the need for later tooth replacement and can save you money in the long run.
Which Is Better?
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.
About the Practice
New Haven Dental Group in Branford offers comprehensive oral care to our community. We have a general dentist and oral surgeon on staff, whose combined skills equip them to handle root canal therapy, tooth extractions (both simple and surgical), and a range of other restorative treatments. To learn more about us and how we can serve you, contact us at 203-437-9112.
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