If you have an infected or otherwise bad tooth, your dentist may recommend one of two options: extract it (pull it out) or perform a root canal. There are pros and cons to both methods and it’s important to understand the consequences of each procedure. Extractions in Chicago are similar to those performed in other parts of the country, as are root canals.
Extractions
This involves pulling the tooth out completely.
Benefits of extractions include:
Quicker than a root canal; a tooth can usually be pulled in about 15 minutes, after freezing has taken effect
Less expensive than a root canal; in many cases it costs less than half what a root canal does
Once the tooth is gone, you can rest assured that it won’t bother you anymore; a root canal doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you won’t have future problems
Things to consider when extracting a tooth include:
You may have to pay for a crown or bridge so that the dentist can put in a fake tooth to replace the one that was pulled. While this isn’t a requirement, it could be something to consider depending on where the pulled tooth was located
If you decide not to have a crown put in, you’ll be left with a gap which could be bothersome when it comes to eating, etc.
Root Canal
A root canal is a procedure in which the roots are ‘deadened’
Benefits of root canals include:
You can keep your tooth, making eating easier
You don’t have to worry about having a fake tooth or crown
Things to consider with a root canal:
This procedure can be much more expensive
It is more painful and takes much more time than an extraction (2 hours is common)
There is no guarantee that it will work; the dentist may have to extract the tooth even after a root canal
Contact us at our office of Family Dental Care chicagofamilydentalcare.com.
