When seeking out quality dental care, it’s important to stay apprised of exactly the type of care that you might need for your particular situation. This can open up the pathway for you to find the most satisfying results possible from your procedure.
Some dental procedures can be confusing for the layperson due to their apparently similar qualities, as well as the sometimes-confusing nature of issues of the teeth. One example is determining whether or not you need a root canal or a tooth extraction.
Do I Need a Root Canal or Tooth Extraction?
If you’re experiencing dental issues and are wondering which type of procedure would work for you, take a look at this guide that can help you decide which one would be most beneficial.
Tooth Decay Basics
The primary reason that someone would come to decide between a root canal or tooth extraction is due to tooth decay. Tooth decay is an extremely common issue that comes from chronic neglect of the teeth over time.
Once tooth decay reaches a certain point, the enamel and other protective layers of the teeth recede to the point that the sensitive inner layers of the teeth are exposed, which causes discomfort and pain.
In extreme cases, the tooth can decay to the point that it begins to rot and expose the sensitive nerves that exist underneath, which can cause extreme pain and a host of other issues. Sometimes, situations like these can be an emergency situation that calls for an immediate extraction.
Root Canals: Pros and Cons
A root canal treatment is a process where a dentist seals off the infected or damaged root of a tooth in order to prevent the tooth from becoming additionally corrupted by excess bacteria. Your dentist will remove the root of the infected tooth and replace it with an implant.
Most patients who receive root canal treatment report experiencing little-to-no pain in the process, and the procedure can oftentimes be completed in a single appointment. One of the major advantages included in this process is that the patient is able to keep their natural tooth, which most people find preferable.
The cons of a root canal include the fact that there is a possibility of reinfection after some time has passed. Some patients find that if pain and discomfort return, they might end up having the tooth extracted anyway, which means that they may end up wasting time and money on a root canal procedure.
Tooth Extraction: Pros and Cons
Tooth extraction is typically reserved for teeth that have become damaged to the point that any other type of procedure would be futile. For this reason, most patients find that they don’t need or want to go to those lengths unless they feel like they have to.
However, sometimes dental pain can be quite intense and almost excruciating and unbearable. In situations like these, patients might find that removing the problem tooth is the only solution to resolving their pain. The upside to this situation is that tooth extraction is able to offer patients some reassurance that there will be a permanent solution to whatever discomfort they’re experiencing.
One of the major cons of tooth extraction comes when tooth that is extracted is one of the prominently visible ones. This is because it means that the patient will likely want to replace said tooth, which can be a very costly scenario.
On top of this, your tooth replacement will still require a significant amount of maintenance to stay healthy, on the level of your normal teeth.
Root Canal or Tooth Extraction?
Deciding whether a root canal or tooth extraction is the most appropriate will oftentimes have to do with the severity of tooth decay one is experiencing. In more severe cases of tooth decay where the tooth is in danger of disintegrating or damaging one’s health further, an emergency tooth extraction is likely called for.
However, in the case that one can more simply rectify their oral health problems with a root canal, this will likely be found to be preferable by many patients due to the fact that it’s a much less invasive and painful process. However, the appropriate method of approach will ultimately be determined by one’s dental professional.
The Trusted Dental Experts of Hollywood
Victory Plaza Dental is the North Hollywood dentist people trust for quality dental care and emergency tooth extraction of all kinds. If you’re suffering from some kind of dental discomfort, then contact us today in order to set up an appointment to resolve your issues today.