Root Canal or Extraction: How to Choose

When a tooth is badly infected or decayed, there are usually two ways to deal with it. We can save it with a root canal, or we can take it out.

 

Both end the pain of the infection. What happens after each one is different, so it helps to know both before you choose.

 

What a root canal does

 

Inside every tooth is soft tissue called the pulp. When decay or a crack lets germs reach it, the pulp gets infected and the tooth can ache or swell.

 

In a root canal, we numb the tooth, clean out the infected pulp and seal the canals inside the roots. Your own tooth remains in place, and you chew on it as before.

 

Back teeth usually need a crown afterwards. A tooth that has had a root canal gets more brittle, and the crown protects it from cracking. Our page on root canal treatment in London, Ontario explains each step.

 

What an extraction does

 

An extraction takes the whole tooth out. That removes the source of the infection, and the gum heals over the space.

 

After an extraction, the teeth beside the gap can drift and tip into the space. Over time that can change your bite.

 

A missing tooth is often replaced later with a bridge, an implant or a partial denture. Each one means more visits after the extraction. You can read more about tooth extraction in London, Ontario at our office.

 

When a root canal makes sense

 

• Enough healthy tooth is left to support a filling or a crown.
• The roots are whole, with no split.
• The gum and bone around the tooth are healthy.
• You want to save your own tooth.

 

In those cases, saving the tooth is usually the better choice. The American Association of Endodontists says no denture, bridge or implant looks, feels and works as well as a natural tooth.

 

When an extraction makes sense

 

• The tooth is cracked deep below the gumline, or the root has split.
• Too little of the tooth is left to rebuild.
• Gum disease has destroyed much of the bone around the tooth.
• The tooth has had treatment before and cannot be repaired again.

 

Sometimes a tooth can be saved, but only with a lot of work and an uncertain outlook. We tell you plainly when we think that is the case.

 

What each one feels like

 

We numb the area with local anesthetic for both. You feel pressure during the work, not sharp pain.

 

After a root canal, the tooth can feel tender for a few days. After an extraction, the gum needs time to heal, and we give you aftercare steps to follow at home.

 

How we help you choose

 

We start with an exam and an x-ray. For some teeth we also take a 3D scan with our cone beam CT, which shows the roots and the bone around them.

 

Then we show you what we see and explain both options. You get the cost of each one, including what comes after, before you decide.

 

Ask us how long the tooth can last if we save it. Ask what would replace it if it comes out, too.

 

Cost and coverage

 

A root canal and a crown can cost more on the day than an extraction. A missing tooth usually needs replacing later, though, and replacing a tooth often costs more than saving it.

 

The Canadian Dental Care Plan covers root canals and extractions. A second root canal on the same tooth needs approval from the plan before we start.

 

With private insurance, plans differ, so check your own plan. Our guide to root canal cost in Ontario without insurance explains what moves the price of a root canal.

 

Do not wait on a sore tooth

 

An infected tooth rarely gets better by itself. The longer you wait, the more likely it is that taking it out becomes the only choice left.

 

Call 519-472-4460 if a tooth is aching. We make every effort to see emergency patients the same day.

 

We are on Aldersbrook Road and open until 7pm on Monday and Tuesday.