Alternatives to having root canal treatment performed for a tooth.

If root canal therapy is indicated for a tooth there really is no alternative treatment other than an extraction. Root canal treatment deals with the inner aspects of a tooth unlike any other dental procedure. If it is required, no other dental work can suffice. If root canal treatment will not be a possibility for a tooth then it should be extracted.

Should you have an extraction rather than root canal treatment?

The cost or simplicity of a tooth extraction might seem attractive in comparison to having root canal treatment performed. But this solution might not be the easiest or least expensive treatment choice in the long run.

When a tooth is missing its neighboring teeth will tend to shift, sometimes significantly. This in turn can have a major impact on your dental health. Even losing a single tooth can lead to problems with your chewing ability or your jaw joint. Teeth that have shifted because of a lost neighboring tooth can be more likely to have dental problems themselves.

So to avoid these complications, in most cases your dentist will probably recommend to you that you have any tooth that has been extracted replaced. Replacing a tooth that has been extracted with an artificial one (using either a dental bridge, removable partial, or implant) can easily cost as much (and usually more) than ideal treatment for your tooth beginning with root canal therapy.
[ More about choosing between a dental implant and having root canal treatment. >> ]

Don't make the decision to have a tooth extracted quickly. Make sure that you and your dentist have discussed and explored all of the benefits and detriments of all of the treatment options that are available to you before you make a decision.

Timing your root canal treatment.

In those cases where root canal therapy is needed it is always best to go ahead and make plans to have the treatment performed sooner rather than later. Sometimes, however, root canal treatment must be delayed because of scheduling conflicts, the need for other dental work, or else financial considerations. Delays such as these can usually be managed, at least to some degree. Often a dentist can perform the initial aspects of root canal treatment, the ones that can make it so your tooth feels better, and then schedule an appointment for you at a later date for the completion of the work.

You should not make a decision to delay root canal treatment unilaterally but instead discuss matters with your dentist. Any tooth that is in need of root canal treatment, but has not yet received it, is not predictable. A tooth could remain asymptomatic for an indefinite period of time or, at the other extreme, could abscess and cause you pain and produce swelling. Even in those cases where a tooth remains asymptomatic, the infection associated with the tooth could cause damage to the bone that surrounds it. Discuss matters with your dentist. Let them explain to you what they would consider a reasonable time frame for the treatment of your tooth.