Should i get root canals or just remove my teeth that hurt?

Question

Should i get root canals or just remove my teeth that hurt?

Answer 1

Realize that you are likely to live to the age of 80+.... at what age do you want to start living off baby food because you have no teeth left to chew with?

In so much as it is financially feasible, do the root canals. Most root canals are essentially painless. The nightmare stories you hear are from cases when the tooth was highly infected. The anesthetic is neutrelized by the infection so we can't get the patient numb. As long as your dentist is able to manage the infection around the tooth, the root canal will be less uncomfortable than a regular filling. Root canals have a very high success rate, generally last a lifetime and... keep the tooth in your mouth.

Keeping the tooth is important. Teeth rely on each other to maintain their position in the mouth. When a tooth is extracted, the tooth behind it will begin to drift and tilt forward over time. This can lead to bite problems and obviously leaves you with one less tooth to chew that juicy T-bone with. Also without the resistance of an opposing tooth, the tooth opposite the missing tooth will over-erupt which will eventually lead to sensitivity and higher liklihood of decay in that over-erupted tooth because the parts of the tooth without enamel will now be above the gum line.

Dentures are not a good solution. Dentures seldom fit well, will never chew like your natural teeth and over time, without teeth to maintain the structure, the bone in the arches of the mouth will recede leaving nothing for the dentures to hang onto. That's when you see those really aged people whose teeth flap around in their mouth while they talk. If you end up in full dentures by age thirty, you can expect to have chronic difficulty fitting your dentures by age 55 or so... maybe sooner depending on your physiology.

I would always opt for the root canals over extraction. Know that a root canaled tooth will become brittle within a few years and you will need to have a crown put on the tooth to give is structural support. Once the crown is in place, all you have to do is maintain a good standard of oral care and that tooth should last you many years. It is a cost investment that can be hard to handle, but realize it's an investment that should last you ten to twenty years. Looking at it that way, it's not that high a price. And it's the best option if you don't want to live off of mashed foods early in your retirement.

Good luck!

Answer 2

id rather a root canal anyday over extraction .. just had out some of my wisdom and its horrible

Answer 3

Don't start pulling teeth until a Dentist tells you there are no other options.

Answer 4

if you have the choice between

ROOT CANAL TREATMENT=NATURAL CHOICE

IS THE BEST

don't  remove any one if you can keep it

Answer 5

Depends on what you can afford. Root canals are very expensive,and they are just the beginning of crowning a tooth to save it. If you have good dental ins., I'd say get the root canal and the crown,if you don't, you may have to pull them. Some times when you have teeth pulled,you remaining teeth will spread out to take up the space.

Answer 6

get a root canal. save your teeth as long as possible. i had a problem with my front tooth years ago and had a root canal and no problems since.

Answer 7

Keep your own teeth at all costs.

Answer 8

SAVE the tooth!!  Root canals..all the way...dont pull a tooth unless you HAVE to...