Is a root canal better than an extraction?

Root canal treatment removes the infection but keeps your natural tooth in place, while extraction removes the tooth completely. Keeping a natural tooth generally helps neighbouring teeth stay in position and keeps your bite working as it should, so root canal treatment is usually recommended when a tooth can realistically be saved.

In short

• Root canal treatment removes infected or damaged pulp from inside a tooth and keeps the natural tooth in place.
• Extraction removes the tooth completely, which ends the infection in that tooth straight away.
• A gap left by extraction can let neighbouring teeth shift out of position over time, which can affect your bite.
• A tooth is not always realistic to save, for example if it is very badly broken or the root itself is fractured.
• A dentist can advise which option suits a particular tooth after an examination, including an X-ray.

This article is part of the root canal treatment information on this site for patients in Cape Town.

What happens if a tooth is removed instead of treated?

Extraction ends the infection immediately, since the source of it is gone, and for some teeth it is the more realistic option. Over time, though, the gap left behind can let the neighbouring teeth drift, and the tooth above or below can gradually over-erupt into the space, which can eventually cause a bad bite that needs further treatment to correct. What the extraction procedure itself involves is covered on the practice’s extractions and wisdom teeth page.

Why might root canal treatment be the better choice?

Where a tooth can realistically be saved, root canal treatment removes the infected tissue while keeping the tooth itself, its root, and its connection to the bone that holds it in place. This generally avoids the knock-on changes to neighbouring teeth and your bite that can follow an extraction. Concern about pain sometimes leads people to consider extraction instead, though Is a root canal painful? explains why the procedure itself is not usually the painful part.

When is extraction the more realistic option?

Extraction becomes the more sensible option when a tooth is too broken down to rebuild, when the root itself is fractured, or when there is not enough healthy tooth structure or supporting bone left to hold a filling or a crown afterwards. Severe gum disease around a tooth can also mean it no longer has enough support to be worth saving. Your dentist can only judge this properly after an examination and, usually, an X-ray. If extraction turns out to be the better option for a particular tooth, What should I do after a tooth extraction, and how do I avoid a dry socket? covers the recovery.

What happens to the tooth after root canal treatment?

Once root canal treatment is complete, the tooth is usually restored with a filling or, especially on a back tooth carrying a lot of chewing force, a crown to protect it from cracking. See How long does a dental crown last? for what that involves and what affects how long the protection lasts. With this protection in place and reasonable care, a tooth treated with root canal treatment can go on to function normally for many years.

How do I reach Dr Davies?

Dr Davies treats adults and children at BRS Dental, on Strand Street in the Cape Town city centre, and can advise which option suits a particular tooth after an examination. To make an appointment, call her directly on her own mobile, which is shown on this page. This page gives general information and does not replace an examination.