Is Getting a Tooth Pulled Cheaper Than a Root Canal?
If you have a serious infection in your mouth, you will likely need to choose between two options: getting your tooth pulled or a root canal. Although having your tooth pulled is the more affordable, simpler choice, it’s not the ideal solution.
When you have a tooth that is missing, the teeth that surround it may shift their places to fill the empty spot. If this occurs, you may experience a bad bite or crooked teeth and increase your risk of developing an issue in the temporomandibular joint or TMJ. A problem in the TMJ joint may lead to biting and chewing challenges in addition to headaches, dizziness, ear pain, and ringing in the ears.
If you’d like to avoid these complications, the dentists at Wells Family Dental Group recommend keeping your original teeth by undergoing a root canal procedure. While a root canal may involve several trips to our office, it will effectively save your tooth.
First, we’ll numb your tooth for comfort and remove its nerve from the pulp chamber and root canal or the space inside the root. We may place medicine in the pulp chamber and root canal in order to remove bacteria. In most cases, we’ll fill your root canal with a rubber like material in order to seal it.
Then, we’ll place a temporary filling on your tooth to prevent contamination. Lastly, your temporary filling will be removed and restored with a crown or filling. The crown or filling is intended to strengthen your tooth and improve its appearance.
Even though root canals have a bad reputation, they can improve the appearance, function, and health of your smile and reduce your risk of serious complications down the road.
Contact Wells Family Dental Today
If you believe you could benefit from a root canal, we encourage you to call us at 919.266.5332 to schedule an appointment in our modern, comfortable, and technologically advanced Raleigh, NC dental office.
Dr. Brett Wells is the founder of Loren Dental, DentalHQ.com, and Wells Family Dental Group, which was recently awarded the Triangle Business Journal’s “2024 Best Places to Work” recognition. Dr. Wells has more than 20 years of experience practicing general and family dentistry, and has published widely in major medical journals, like Dental Economics and Inside Dentistry, on topics ranging from navigating dental insurance to advice for other dental practices and the impact of PPOs on dentistry. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Adams School of Dentistry and maintains memberships in various professional associations, including the American Dental Association, the Academy of General Dentistry, and the Dentist Entrepreneur Organization.