Do You Need A Root Canal? Why Is It Better Than Pulling Your Tooth?

Dentist Blog

When you're facing a root canal, it's cheaper and less recovery time involved to just pull the tooth. So why won't your dentist just recommend that? After all, their goal is to help their patients feel more comfortable and have a successful dental experience, so why would your dentist want you to get a root canal instead?

The answer is simply that a root canal is just plain better for your oral health than having a tooth pulled. With a few small exceptions, it's going to be your most successful solution in the end and you'll have an easier experience in the long run having a root canal treatment done over pulling any tooth.

Why is a root canal the better solution than pulling a tooth that is infected? Why does your dentist want you to keep a painful tooth that obviously needs a lot of work? The answer may surprise you and help you wrap your head around accepting that a root canal is the better option for your oral health needs.

If you lose a tooth, you could lose your face shape

The shape of your face is largely determined by your teeth and jaws, so if you lose a tooth, you have a hollowed area in your mouth. Your cheeks can sink in and give you the appearance of being less full in the face, and therefore younger than you are. You need a full set of teeth to maintain your face construction, so if you balk at a root canal, maybe this information can change your mind about one.

If you lose a tooth, you could lose other teeth

Pulling a tooth can put other teeth at risk of the same fate, and can at the very least cause your smile to shift around so your teeth will become crooked and less appealing. Your dentist wants you to get a root canal so the new crown on your affected tooth can help protect other teeth and then also keep them in the right position in your mouth.

If you lose a tooth, you can have trouble ahead

While pulling a tooth seems like the more cost-effective solution to your oral health needs, it's not going to benefit you in the long run. The troubles you can run into in the future after replacing a tooth with an open hole will end up costing you more money than just getting the root canal in the first place.

To learn more about root canals, contact a dentist in your area.

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