It’s a common conundrum a lot of patients are faced with- should I keep or extract my tooth?
Once your dentist has determined the nerve within the tooth has ‘died’ and/or become infected, a patient is faced with a difficult decision between root canal treatment (to retain the tooth) or extraction (to remove the tooth).
The dentists at Dana Street Dental recommend that if clinically possible the best option is to keep one’s own tooth.
The downside for having a tooth removed is likened to removing a book from a bookshelf- all the other ‘books’ (teeth) move into the space. This results in significant changes to the position of the other teeth and your bite making the ability to clean these teeth more difficult resulting in potential issues including gum problems, tooth decay and cracked teeth. Losing a tooth can also have a negative impact on your smile and your ability to eat normally.
Root canal treatment involves cleaning (‘disinfecting’) and sealing the nerve chambers within a tooth over a few appointments. The techniques and materials of root canal therapy have been refined by dentists over centuries and is now a proven and predictable way to retain a tooth longterm. Despite being more expensive then extracting a tooth (please ask us about Payment Plan options if this is a problem for you!), this treatment results in minimal change to your bite whilst retaining your ability to smile, chew and function.
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