Root Canal Vs. Extraction: Procedure, Pain, and Recovery

You visit the dentist in Pleasant Hill after scheduling an urgent care appointment seeking a remedy for a painful tooth in your mouth with lingering sensitivity to hot and cold temperatures. The dentist, after evaluating your tooth and taking x-rays, determines to break the news that you have infected or inflamed dental pulp best treated by undergoing what you feel is the dreaded root canal treatment. However, the dentist also offers you an alternative to this treatment by suggesting tooth extraction is a remedy to eradicate the infection from your mouth. Which option would you consider as the best for your dental and overall health?

This article looks at how you should decide when confronted with a challenging situation, offering you a solution between the devil and the deep sea. In addition, information on why you should prefer root canal treatment is provided to help you make an informed decision.

Root Canal Vs. Extraction

When required to contemplate between root canal therapy near you vs. extraction, you will likely prefer the latter because of the myths surrounding root canal treatment. You never for a moment think how the consequences of extraction will affect you, concentrating instead on the purported pain root canal treatments will likely create.

Have you tried to understand why the dentist recommended this particular treatment to remove the infection from your mouth? If not, you help yourself by inquiring with the dentist why you must undergo a root canal instead of extracting the tooth for freedom from the problem. The answer the dentist provides will likely surprise you because root canal treatments are recommended to relieve the pain and sensitivity you experience in your tooth and not merely subject you to additional pain. Root canal therapy or endodontic therapy, as it is also called, merely eliminates the diseased pulp in your tooth while helping you to preserve it. Getting the tooth restored with a dental crown allows you to use it like your remaining teeth with full functionality.

After you discuss the benefits of saving your natural tooth, you will undoubtedly schedule your treatment to find relief from the pain and sensitivity as soon as possible.

What If You Prefer Extraction over Root Canal?

If you prefer extracting the tooth over root canal treatments, you lose a natural tooth and become susceptible to the consequences of tooth loss. You may think getting tooth replacements is not challenging and is accomplished within a couple of months. However, are you aware artificial teeth have a lifetime of costs associated with them? They need replacements sooner or later unless you invest in dental implants costing you more dollars than undergoing root canal treatment. Therefore before contemplating tooth extraction, please consider the future challenges you will likely confront with your decision.

Is Rooted in Therapy Painful?

You visit the Pleasant Hill dentist with an excruciating toothache sensitivity in the tooth to temperatures. Root canal therapy is an excellent technique to eliminate the pain from your tooth and the infection affecting it.

Root canal therapy in Pleasant Hill is as comfortable as having dental fillings. The dentist performing root canal treatment, besides having appropriate tools to view inside your tooth, also knows the latest advances in anesthesia to ensure the therapy proceeds painlessly without causing any discomfort.

The pain you expect from root canal treatments will likely affect you after the anesthesia you received begins wearing off. However, you can expect some discomfort from any surgical procedure, and the dentist is aware of the problem. The professional recommends prescription or over-the-counter painkillers to help you manage the discomfort from root canal treatments. You will likely experience discomfort from the treated tooth if you have pain before you underwent root canal therapy.

You receive advice from the dentist not to use the treated tooth until you have it restored with a dental crown in about a week. It indicates mild to moderate discomfort will accompany root canal treatments for about a week, after which you can visit your regular dentist for tooth restoration with a permanent filling or a dental crown. The dental crown procedure is also intensive and may encourage you to consider fillings. However, you must think about the long-term and decide on dental crowns that encase the treated tooth, entirely restoring its appearance, strength, and functionality. If you maintain proper dental hygiene and get regular cleanings and exams, rest assured the treated tooth will last for a lifetime.

After understanding the differences between root canals vs. extraction, we are confident you will schedule your procedure with Grafton Dental to eliminate the pain and infection from your mouth and retain your natural tooth.