Root Canal Or Extraction – Which Do I Need?

If you've got a painful tooth in Red Bank, you may be wondering if you should get a root canal, or if you’ll need to have a tooth extraction. Lots of people think that pulling the tooth is the right option for severe pain, but that’s not always the case. In this blog from Santo Dental Group, we’ll take a look at both procedures, and discuss when a root canal or extraction may be right for you.

A Root Canal Is Always The Best Option If Your Tooth Can Be Saved

In a root canal, one of our doctors will open up your tooth, clean out infected pulp from the inside of the tooth, and then seal and cap the tooth to protect it from further damage. Root canals are the most common treatment for infected teeth.

And there are good reasons for this. Compared to extractions, root canals are simpler, less invasive, take less time, and are cheaper, too. They also save and preserve your natural tooth. With a root canal, there’s no need to replace a missing tooth with an implant, bridge, denture, or anything else. You can keep your tooth, often for decades to come.

Basically, it’s always better to save your natural tooth, when possible. And in most cases of tooth infections, an extraction is not necessary. Root canals are typically the best way to relieve your pain, save your tooth, and get you back to your day-to-day routine.

An Extraction Is The Last Resort, But May Be The Right Option In Some Cases

So, root canals are usually the right choice for infected teeth. But when are they not the best option? The answer is simple. If your tooth is too damaged or too severely infected to be saved with a root canal, your dentist will recommend extraction. 

For example, if your tooth has been mostly destroyed by an oral injury, or you have an extremely severe infection of the tooth, it may be better to pull it, because a root canal probably won’t be enough to save your natural tooth.

Just like a root canal, a tooth extraction will relieve your pain, and will help prevent any further complications due to your tooth infection. However, the surgery is more invasive and has a longer recovery time. You’ll also need to come back to get a new tooth, which will add more time and costs to your procedure. 

Still Not Sure What’s Right For You? Come To Santo Dental Group Today!

Only a dentist can determine whether or not a tooth can be saved. And at Santo Dental Group, we practice conservative dentistry. That means we’ll always recommend a root canal to save your natural tooth, unless we truly believe that it cannot be saved.

Either way, a root canal or a tooth extraction will get you out of pain. So don’t wait. If you’ve got a nagging toothache in Red Bank, get help right away. Contact Santo Dental Group online, or give us a call at (732) 530-1003 to schedule a consultation at our office today.