Should I Extract a Tooth or have Root Canal Treatment?

Dr Alex Bratic (Dentist)
8 years ago

The most common cause of toothache is an infected pulp or nerve. This usually happens in the back molar teeth, which are more prone to decay. At this point it is no longer possible to fill the tooth & treatment options are limited to root canal therapy or extraction. When faced with this dilemma, patients often ask for my advice.

When is Root Canal Treatment or Extraction Needed?

In the vast majority of cases the best decision is to retain the tooth with root canal therapy. Some patients will comment that if the tooth cannot be seen it is not important to keep the tooth. It is actually the back teeth, which do most of the work when chewing. Loss of a back molar tooth will almost certainly reduce chewing efficiency with most chewing being done with the other side.

With more work done by fewer teeth, wear on the remaining teeth increases. It is also not uncommon to see more fractured fillings & fractured teeth after removal of a back molar tooth. Teeth also act to maintain the correct position of their counterparts (the teeth beside & above). When a tooth is removed the tooth behind will drift & tilt into the space & the tooth above will over-erupt.

I am sometimes asked if it is better to remove the tooth & replace it with a false tooth, either an implant or a bridge? It is far more expensive to extract a tooth & replace it with an implant or a bridge than to it is to perform a root canal and retain the original tooth.

Find the Best Solution for Dental Pain at Alex Bratic Dental Care

Alex Bratic Dental Care is conveniently located on City Road at Beenleigh. We are close to transport and our onsite parking is free and very easy to access.

For all Health Fund Members our HICAPS facility enables payments to be processed at the time of the appointment, which means members, are only required to pay the difference between the charged fee & the Health Fund Rebate (gap fee).