Which Is Better Tooth Extraction or Root Canal

Aug 01, 2022

After visiting the dental office near you with a specific tooth causing excruciating pain and sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures, what would be your reaction if the dentists at the practice suggested you need a root canal to overcome the pain you experience? Your first question to the dentist will likely be, “is there any way you can avoid this fearsome treatment?” Unfortunately, you will probably receive an answer telling you the sole treatment available besides a root canal is to extract the tooth because the infection within will likely cause the tooth to die.

You leave the dental office informing them you must consider your options before undergoing endodontic therapy to eradicate an infection within your tooth. You start making inquiries on how to avoid the treatment suggested by the dental office and wonder whether extracting your tooth is the better option. You realize tooth extraction is more futile than having a root canal because you must seek replacements for the tooth removed from your mouth. After due consideration, you decide getting a root canal is better than having your tooth removed to invest considerably in replacement solutions and revisit the dental office to schedule your appointment for the endodontic treatment.

Why Is Your Tooth Hurting?

Pain in a specific tooth with sensitivity to temperatures that the dental pulp, the soft center of your tooth with blood vessels, connective tissue, and nerves is infected or inflamed because of a deep cavity or chips or cracks in your tooth.

The infection develops when mouth bacteria penetrate the outer layer of your tooth to get past the dentin and infect the dental pulp. The infected and inflamed dental pulp causes the pain and sensitivity you experience as the mouth bacteria continue working painstakingly until they reach your jawbone to create further complications. You probably wouldn’t have developed an infection if you had cared for your tooth appropriately, received fillings for the cavity, or mended the chips and cracks soon after they occurred. However, as you haven’t received the treatments earlier, the only option currently available is a root canal that helps preserve your natural tooth by eradicating the infection within.

Preserving your natural tooth is optimal because you don’t have to search for replacements costing thousands of dollars and requiring multiple visits to dental offices around you.

Isn’t Root Canal Therapy Painful?

A perception exists among people that root canal therapy is excruciatingly painful when in reality, the treatment helps alleviate the pain you currently experience. The perception results from myths spread about the treatment and not from the pain caused by it.

When you schedule your appointment with the root canal dentist in Burlington, the specialist examines the affected tooth to determine the extent of the damage. They ensure you receive adequate anesthesia to prevent pain when performing the treatment.

When starting the treatment, the dentist drills holes into the crown of your tooth to expose the infected dental pulp. They remove the pulp from within the tooth, clean the canals, and fill the tooth with a biocompatible rubber-like material called gutta-percha with adhesives before closing the access hole in the tooth’s crown with a temporary filling.

The dentist in Aldershot recommends antibiotics and painkillers to overcome the discomfort you experience after undergoing root canal therapy. They also suggest you have the tooth restored by your regular dentist with a dental crown for appearance and strength.

Is Root Canal Therapy Painless As Explained?

Earlier inadequate technology, instruments and outdated anesthesia made root canal treatments excruciating. Fortunately, present-day dentists have modern techniques, flexible tools, and updated anesthetics to ensure they provide painless endodontic therapy to save your natural tooth instead of removing it.

The pain you anticipate from this treatment starts four to six hours after receiving the therapy. However, the painkillers prescribed by the dentist help manage the pain and any swelling that might develop on your cheeks. You recover from the treatment after a few days by following your dentist’s instructions and refraining from habits that might affect the treated tooth.

You start dental visits again after your recovery to have the tooth restored with a dental crown requiring another two appointments with your regular dentist. However, the restoration enhances the tooth’s appearance while providing the strength needed to function like your natural teeth. In addition, a root canal-treated tooth lasts for a lifetime when you maintain proper dental hygiene practices by brushing twice daily, flossing at least once and getting dental prophylaxis every six months without exceptions.

Monarch Dentistry — Burlington Plain West performs endodontic treatments on many patients and delivering excellent results. If you have an infected tooth requiring endodontic therapy, please schedule an appointment with this practice to save your natural tooth instead of getting it extracted.