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Root Canal
vs. Extraction
One of the most
painful dental experiences one can have is undergoing root canal therapy. Root canal therapy (also known as endodontic
therapy) is a dental treatment that is designed to repair teeth that have
infected pulp. No dentist will deny
that root canal therapy is a difficult process for a patient to go
through. However, considering the
alternatives, root canal therapy is the most effective method of saving a
tooth.
Root canal therapy is needed when the tooth’s pulp has become damaged. The pulp of a tooth is essentially the
lifeline of a tooth and it contains the blood vessels, nerves, and connective
tissue inside a tooth. As the pulp
provides the tooth blood and nutrients, damage to the pulp is serious and can
result in the death of a tooth. Root
canal therapy is recommended when damage to the tooth’s pulp becomes
visible. This is usually evident when
an abscess (a pocket of pus that forms at the tip of the tooth’s root) becomes
visible.
Pulp infection is
usually a result of either a deep cavity or a cracked tooth. These dental conditions expose to pulp to
bacteria, which leads to infection. At
this point, root canal therapy is highly recommended as a method to save the
tooth. However, some individuals feel
that tooth extraction is the best solution.
This would allow them to avoid the painful root canal therapy treatment
and to have a final resolution to this problem.
When it comes to
determining which is the better solution, the question will invariably become: root
canal vs. extraction. Dentists seem to
agree that root canal therapy is the best option of the two. This is because root canal therapy is the
only choice between the two that is designed to help a person save their
tooth. Although tooth replacement work
has progressed to the point where it is normal for dentists to replace teeth
with replacement teeth that look and feel like regular teeth, dentists still
believe that it is better that a person retain their own teeth. In scenarios where root canal therapy can
possibly save an infected tooth, dentists agree that it is safer, less
invasive, and less expensive in the long run that tooth extraction.
Additionally, in
the root canal vs. extraction argument, root canal therapy is better for your
overall health. This is because
dentists have estimated that tooth extraction will release between 68% and 84%
more bacteria into the blood stream than root canal therapy. Considering that the human body is a
complete organism and that the health of one part of the body will affect other
areas of the body, root canal therapy is the safest choice between the two
options.
However, there are
some circumstances where root canal therapy is unfeasible and tooth extraction
is the only option. In these cases, you
should take heart knowing that tooth replacement techniques have progressed
exponentially over the last few years.
It is highly recommended that you would replace an extracted tooth, as
this will prevent dental problems caused by a missing tooth from occurring. Popular extracted tooth replacement options
include: obtaining a dental bridge, obtaining a removable appliance, and
obtaining a dental implant.
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