Which is Beneficial Root Canal Treatment or Tooth Extraction?

How many times have you gone to the dentist to get a bothersome tooth pulled out only to have him counsel you into ‘keeping it' and getting a Root Canal Treatment done? Or gone to get a decayed tooth filled but been asked to have a tooth extraction instead?

A dilemma many of us often face when we go to the Dentists’ is to choose between Dental Root Canal Treatment and Tooth Removal. How do you decide whether you should keep the tooth or go to a dentist for tooth removal? To help you make the right choice, let's start by understanding what these procedures mean, how and why we do them.

Root Canal: The Saviour

• Root Canal Treatment (RCT) is basically done to clean and disinfect the root canal and pulp chamber of the tooth and then fill it to avoid re-infection.

• The root canal and the pulp chamber of the tooth house the blood vessels and nerves of the tooth and give life to the tooth.

• A RCT dental treatment is generally required when the nerves and the blood vessels are infected, dying or dead because of deep cavities, trauma, fractures of the tooth, gum problems or other reasons.

• During an RCT, the root canal dentist will first remove all the infected or dead tissue from the tooth and then clean and shape them with various instruments to clean and make sure all the bacteria have been removed. This is followed by the filling and sealing of the canals, usually with a biocompatible material known as Gutta Percha. This can be done in one or multiple appointments.

• The procedure is usually started after the root canal specialist

numbs the tooth, once all the infected material is removed, you will probably have no pain at subsequent appointments.

• Starting the RCT will usually relieve the pain you came in with, although a few patients do have mild pain between appointments and at times after completion of the root canal. But this is usually transient.

• RCT treated tooth will usually require a cap to protect the weakened remaining tooth structure from extra forces and increase its life.

Extraction: The Endgame

• Tooth Extraction, or removal of the tooth, is single tooth extraction and its root from the socket.

• It is usually done by a tooth extraction dentist when the tooth cannot be saved if it's infected or for orthodontic purposes.

• It is done under Local anesthesia. Your dentist will anesthetize the tooth and the surrounding area and after ensuring the area is numb, will remove the tooth with the help of pliers like instruments called forceps.

• There is usually mild bleeding which is easily controlled. Some cases may require suturing.

• The wound takes about a week to close and about 2-3 weeks to heal.

• The procedure itself is usually painless because of the anesthesia, but you may feel slight pressure. You can ask your dentist to repeat the injection if you are still feeling pain.

• There may be mild pain and swelling after the extraction depending on the degree of trauma to the surrounding tissues while removal and after tooth extraction care.

The Choice

Nothing is as strong as your natural teeth. That’s why as dentists and root canal specialist in Chandigarh, we recommend holding on to them if you can. If the tooth has enough remaining structure to restore its function post RCT, then it's better to save it instead of getting it removed. The RCT will let you keep your natural tooth in place and if done properly it can last for years.

Article resource: http://bristlesdentalstudios.com/root-canal-or-extraction/