Sometimes a root canal is the only way to save your tooth, and it is much better to save your teeth than to extract them. Once you lose a tooth, several other complications can develop if you do not have the tooth replaced in a timely manner. To replace the tooth, you have two options, a dental bridge which requires the removal of the healthy tooth structure of nearby teeth, or a dental implant, which requires dental surgery. A root canal can help avoid the extra cost and inconvenience of advanced dental treatments.

Root Canals Are a Good Thing Because…

Although root canals don’t have the best reputation, root canal therapy was purposely developed to help patients keep their teeth rather than have them pulled. Your natural teeth are important to your oral health because every part of your body relies on the other parts to remain healthy, in-balance, and to function properly. Losing one tooth can create a domino effect. The underlying jawbone begins to get weak and therefore other teeth may become loose. This is not a good thing. Root canal therapy was developed to prevent this.

How Root Canals Save Your Teeth

If you have extreme tooth decay and there is not enough healthy tooth structure to save, the only option is tooth extraction. Another reason for extraction would be infection. If the pulp of your tooth becomes infected and does not respond to antibiotics, rather than risk the infection spreading to other teeth or throughout your body, extraction is necessary. However, if you have enough healthy tooth structure to save, and the infection can be controlled or the infected pulp removed, a root canal can be performed to save your tooth.