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Root canals have unjustly gained a bad reputation. While cartoons and comedy movies have portrayed these treatments as absolutely horrible, they are in fact quite painless thanks to local anesthetic treatments. Unfortunately, many people think that having a tooth extracted would be preferable to having a root canal. Here’s why it is almost always better to get a root canal than to have a tooth extraction.
How Can Root Canals Save Teeth?
Before you can receive a root canal, your dentist must thoroughly inspect your mouth to determine that it is the best course of treatment for you. Once this is confirmed, they will begin the process by treating the tooth with a local anesthetic, making the whole procedure completely painless. Your dentist will then access the inner chamber of the tooth and remove the infected pulp that is causing you pain. They will then sanitize, fill, and seal the inner chamber, and they may place a crown on the tooth afterward to restore it to its original appearance and function.
This treatment will eliminate the source of your painful infection and prevent tooth loss, which can save you a great amount of money, time, suffering, and self-confidence. While you may experience some temporary discomfort for a few days afterward, this can be managed with over-the-counter pain medication and is far preferable to the miserable pain that comes with a continuing toothache.
What Problems Can Tooth Extraction Cause?
While tooth extractions are sometimes necessary to preserve the patient’s overall health, they are rarely the ideal solution. After a tooth is removed, the bone structure in the jaw that supported it will begin to atrophy due to a lack of exercise. This receding bone tissue can pull the neighboring teeth out of alignment, which makes them more vulnerable to injury and infection.
Food debris can also easily become caught in the gap where a tooth used to be, which can make it easier for harmful oral bacteria to multiply. The loss of a tooth also causes the pressure of chewing to be unevenly redistributed, which can lead to other teeth being injured due to stress. Tooth loss can also make a patient less willing to show off their smile, which can adversely affect their self-confidence.
To prevent the issues that tooth loss can cause, dentists usually recommend replacing missing teeth as soon as possible. While dental restorations such as dentures, dental implants, and dental bridges are high-quality and quite effective, they do not come cheap and are still not as good as the real thing. A root canal is a much more inexpensive solution that allows you to keep your natural teeth.
About the Author
Dr. Aliana Henkin earned her dental doctorate at Rutgers School of Dental Medicine and has completed advanced courses in implantology, endodontics, and BOTOX. She is also a proud member of the American Dental Association and the New Jersey Dental Association. Her office in Springfield, NJ offers general, restorative, cosmetic, and emergency dentistry such as root canal treatments. If you are dealing with a toothache, contact her office online or dial (973) 949-0925.