Every Dentist Needs Your Help Keeping Your Teeth Healthy

If you have a tooth that's gone bad, chances are you've been told you have two choices: you can have a root canal, or you can have the entire tooth extracted. It might surprise you to learn that if you don't have a lot of time to spend in the dentist's chair, a root canal is actually the better idea. Here's why.

Equal Initial Process

It might surprise you to learn that an extraction and root canal take around the same amount of time. They can both be accomplished in a single visit to a dentist's office, and you can usually drive yourself home, as only local anesthetic is used. However, this is where the differences begin, as it's what comes after the root canal or extraction that really counts.

Root Canal

When you get a root canal, you keep your real tooth. All your dentist does is remove the infected or damaged pulp from the inside of the tooth, and then caps it off. This keeps the tooth strong and protected, but ultimately, you have your original, living tooth still planted firmly in your gums.

In short, this means that when you have your root canal completed, you're finished with the whole process. You don't need to go in for extra surgeries or to have any other forms of replacements put in. In this way, you'll save a lot of time and won't have to make multiple visits to the dentist's office.

Tooth Extraction

On the other hand, tooth extraction is quite different. Once you've had your tooth pulled, you really need to go back to your dentist's office later on. This is so that your dentist can provide you with a tooth replacement of some kind, whether you choose a bridge, implant, or something else.

Going without a tooth replacement will not only leave you with a gap between your teeth, but it could put your oral health at risk by reducing circulation in your gums. As such, you should expect to return to your dentist's office a couple more times in order to arrange for your tooth replacement to be put in place. Any of the above choices will require your dentist to measure your teeth, fit you with a temporary replacement, and order the full-fledged replacement to fit on you. Only once your tooth replacement is available at your dentist's office and finished being installed can you call it quits with spending time at a dentist's office.

If your tooth is in bad shape, it can probably still be saved with a root canal. Contact a dental clinic, like Ramtown Dental Associates,  and choose the option that will give you more time outside of the dentist's office.