Should I save my tooth with root canal treatment or replace with a dental implant?
If you have a damaged or infected tooth which is causing you serious pain, you may be a candidate for root canal treatment or a tooth extraction. The latest article on click4teeth explains how a failing natural tooth can be saved and preserved with root canal therapy and when a tooth should be extracted and replaced with a dental implant.
The article covers in detail how a root canal procedure is intended to repair and save an infected or decayed tooth, while a dental implant replaces and restores by filling the gap left by an extraction. Both treatments can help to restore comfort, the ability to chew and your natural smile.
What you should know about root canal treatment and extraction:
- Bacteria can enter a damaged tooth and inflame the living pulp tissue which is called pulpitis
- Irreversible pulpitis is where the pulp is badly affected and the infection must be removed to stop the pain and prevent it from spreading
- Root canal (endodontic) treatment is the most common corrective measure to remove infected, diseased pulp
- A root canal procedure entails cleaning out the infected pulp and bacteria from the internal canals of the tooth
- Dentists use a series of root canal files which are worked down the full length of the tooth, to clean out and enlarge the canals
- Not all root-canal treated teeth will last a lifetime
- Root canals can be retreated but the procedure can be challenging and may require a specialist endodontist
- If the alternative treatment is extraction, a dental implant can fill the gap
- A dental implant can be inserted into the jawbone to replace a missing tooth root. The implant supports a cosmetic crown that looks and feels like a real tooth
To read the full article, visit Can dental implants be an alternative to root canal treatment?
