Pull out my tooth or not?
Save it: Root Canal Therapy
Advantages:
- The tooth has an extended life span.
- Minimal trauma to the area as the tooth is not being extracted.
- Other teeth will keep their place, allowing normal chewing to continue.
- The procedure can often be completed in one to two visits.
Disadvantages:
- This procedure costs more than an extraction. A crown is often advised which is an additional expense. Crowns can be deferred to a later date, however.
- A long appointment of 90 minutes is usually required. Plenty of anaesthetic is used.
- Not all treatments are successful. The aim being to keep the tooth for longer, not necessarily forever. Ask your dentist for the estimated success rates. A failed root canal treatment may be referred then onto a specialist at an additional fee, or the tooth may be extracted.
- The tooth may feel different to the other teeth, or it may not. (ie different sensation on tapping).
- The tooth may discolour or turn dark. This can be corrected with a crown.
If root canal therapy is chosen, there is no need to consider tooth replacement options. However a crown is usually advised.
Lose it: Extraction
Advantages:
- Quick relief of intense toothache.
- The tooth is gone for good.
- Most cost effective way for immediate pain relief.
Disadvantages:
- Permanent loss of the tooth.
- Sometimes surgery is required for difficult roots.
- There will be some discomfort or pain during healing (weeks).
- There will be less teeth to chew with which will create more load for the remaining teeth.
- Chewing may defer to one side of the mouth creating joint stress or pain.
- Other teeth may move, creating unfavourable gaps and food trapping, resulting in decay.