Are you struggling with a tooth that has been severely damaged or is at risk of infection? If so, you may be uncertain about whether it’s better to repair it or have it extracted. Tooth damage and infection can be painful and lead to other serious health issues. But how do you know if the best option for your tooth is to repair it with root canal therapy or have it extracted?
Different factors should be taken into account when deciding whether to have your tooth pulled or fixed. It’s important to consider the cost, feasibility, and purpose of each procedure to ensure that your decision is the best one for you. The professionals at Raleigh Dental Loft can help inform you on what actions should be taken when faced with this dilemma and provide guidance on the ultimate decision-making process that will lead to healthy teeth and a healthy mouth.
Root Canal vs. Tooth Extraction
Root Canal and tooth extraction are two of the most commonly recommended treatments for a diseased or decayed tooth. A root canal is a procedure in which the dentist removes the infected pulp from inside the root chamber of the tooth, then seals it with a filling material. Tooth extraction is a process by which the entire tooth is removed and is usually replaced by a prosthetic.
While both procedures can alleviate pain and discomfort caused by tooth decay, they involve different methods and come with their own risks and benefits. Ultimately, your dentist will decide which treatment is best suited to your particular situation.
Benefits of Saving Your Natural Tooth
We believe it’s best to do everything we can to avoid tooth loss, and we will try to save your natural tooth before resorting to dental extractions. The benefits of saving your natural tooth go far beyond just the aesthetics of your smile. There are actual medical and dental advantages associated with it that make it much more beneficial for you.
Keeping your natural teeth helps keep your gums healthy and can retain strength in both the jawbone and facial structures. Retaining a full set of teeth may also prevent misalignment issues that occur when we’re missing teeth and don’t replace them and limit conditions like bruxism or TMJ. Most importantly, keeping your natural teeth means less healing time associated with extractions and implants. Not only will it benefit your dental health, but it will also help save you money in the long run!
When To Have Your Tooth Fixed
- The tooth has a mild crack or chip: if your tooth only has a small chip or crack that doesn’t extend down to the root or below the gum tissue, it can usually be saved with a crown, dental bonding, or veneers.
- You have a mildly infected tooth: if your tooth infection is mild and hasn’t caused too much damage, it can likely be saved with a root canal procedure.
- The tooth has plaque buildup: we can usually save the tooth with scaling and root planning, which uses special tools to remove plaque that has hardened into tartar on the teeth and in the soft tissues of the mouth.
When To Have Your Tooth Pulled
- The tooth is cracked below the gumline: when the tooth is cracked below the gumline and down into the root, it will likely need to be extracted. If the tooth is in pieces, you may need a surgical extraction to remove all the pieces.
- The tooth is badly damaged by periodontal disease: if periodontal disease goes untreated for too long, you’ll need to have your tooth removed and replaced with a dental implant to strengthen the jaw bone and provide stability.
- The tooth is too weak to be restored: if your tooth structure is too weak to be restored and the dentist believes that a restoration won’t hold up, we may recommend extraction.
- You’ve tried a filling or root canal with no success: teeth that have been filled previously and failed may need extracted.
- Your teeth are overcrowded: sometimes, teeth need to be extracted to prepare for orthodontic treatment, especially if your mouth is overcrowded.
- Your wisdom teeth are impacted: impacted wisdom teeth can cause severe dental pain, and most adults have their wisdom teeth extracted.
- You have bone loss or extensive gum disease around the tooth: if periodontal disease has caused bone deterioration or extensive gum disease, we may need to extract one or more teeth in order to restore your chewing ability.
Options For When You Can’t Save a Tooth
Replacing missing teeth is an important step in maintaining good oral health. Several treatment options are available for replacing lost teeth, each of which offers different benefits and will be best suited to different patients. Dentures, bridges and dental implants are the three most common options, allowing people to restore healthy smiles while providing increased functionality and improved aesthetic appeal.
- Dentures: An affordable tooth replacement option for individuals on a budget who need to replace all of their teeth.
- Bridges: May be a good choice if you are only missing a few teeth and your adjacent teeth are healthy enough to support the bridge.
- Dental Implants: Implants offer the most permanent solution because they imitate natural teeth more closely than other alternatives.
With the wide variety of options available for restoring teeth, it’s easy to find replacement teeth that are perfectly tailored to an individual’s needs.
Contact Raleigh Dental Loft for Root Canal Treatment, Tooth Extraction, and Other Restorative Dental Procedures
Your oral health is important to us, and we’re committed to providing great dental care to each and every one of our patients. Whether you need a root canal or you need a tooth extraction procedure, we’re here to provide a solution to your damaged teeth. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out which course of treatment is best for you.
