Root Canal or Pull it...What Would You Do?

The very last tooth on the bottom left of my mouth was painful. I opted for a root canal but when they began work they discovered that the tooth was cracked all the way thru and therefore they could not do a root canal. My dentist and the specialized dentist both said they'd get a root canal and so I chose that option. However, the tooth had to be pulled. This was 10 years ago and I've had no adverse experiences as a result. I had to still pay $500 for the work that was done. I wished that I'd just had it pulled from the beginning.

I'd personally do a root canal. That's mainly because the toothless hole would drive me nuts. Regardless if no one else could see, I could see it. That's all that matters. I'd save up money, and also work with them about my financial planning to pay for it.

okey, dokey.....here's what I know from my 7 years in the dental field:

the price for the root canal/build-up, & crown is extremely cheap! My husband's last round was $1600 for the same procedures. Root canals can be painful, but usually are not....especially if you're taking antibiotics &/or pain meds during treatment.

If this tooth is the last one in the back, then a bridge is not an option. A bridge is basically a crown on each adjacent tooth, with a fake tooth attached...spanning the empty space. Looks normal.

If you opt for having the tooth removed, there are some issues to think about: over time, the tooth above may/probably will drift downward. This will take time, but can also affect your bite. The tooth next to this empty space could also drift. Again, time is the factor. For most people, it's not an issue which bothers them. For a few, tho', it does create the need for further treatment.

Soooo, my recommendation: really discuss the options with your dentist. Talk about what happens now vs. 10 years from now. This will help guide you in your choices. Good Luck!

Ask your dentist, "If you were the one with the infected tooth, what would you decide to do, and why?" My husband has had root canals; they aren't fun, but they're helpful. I haven't spent time in the root canal department, but I have had to have teeth out, and there was a good deal of work to be done after that. When one tooth is lost, even one in the back of the mouth, it impacts all the others and can lead to some complications.

So it's a bigger deal than merely the price of the procedures. Pick your dentist's brains!

Okay I am kinda in the same boat right now, so I'm glad you posted this. First, the price you were quoted is actually pretty good. It's a lot but not as much as I will have to pay. All in all I will have to pay over 1500 so if I could get it done for 740, I probably would.

Second, what others are saying about teeth shifting is very true. Back when I had braces, the first time, they pulled two teeth up top. It was customary then, I don't think it is now. Anyway I've had braces two other times since b/c those spaces keep opening back up. I was told that I probably had enough room to shift my teeth without removing those teeth and now it's too much room. Now I am very picky about my smile, most people probably would not have gotten braces again as the spaces were not huge. I just didn't like it.

Now my daughter is missing one of her molars, it just not there. As a result, the tooth above it came to far down. Now it has never caused any problems, but she is only 15. I say that to say your tooth shifting may not be that big of a deal. I am not a professional, so I really don't know.

A friend of mine had a tooth removed years ago in lieu of the root canal and hasn't had any problems since. She was about 20-21 when she had that done and we are 34 now. Not that old so I don't know if she will in the future. I'm sure it varies from person to person.

I do know that I am not sure what I am going to do :P The other comments help some and scared me a little. I wasn't even told the tooth was infected, he just said you need a root canal. It caught me by surprise b/c 6 months prior at my cleaning there was no mention of a cavity or me needing a root canal.

Not sure if any of this helped, but good luck!

Both my husband and I just had a tooth pulled because we had a tooth that had a root canal, but they cracked, so needed to come out anyway. We had them pulled which is what we should have done in the first place! My tooth is on bottom and second to last tooth, so you can't see it. My dentist keeps urging me to get an implant or bridge, but I have had no problems so I am going to leave it that way unless it starts to bother me or my teeth begin to shift for some reason. Good luck!
A.

If I could afford it, I would save it (will your dentist let you make small payments?)....I had this problem a couple of years ago and the pain got bad, I ended up in emergency and had to take meds to get rid of the infection and pain. I had the tooth pulled because the cost to save it was more then I could afford and I didn't want to create a bill that I couldn't pay.

Sucky dilema. No right answer.

A friend just had a root canal 1 months ago while pregnant. The infection "came back." (I'm pretty sure it wasn't completely gone to begin with.) The doc said he might need to do another root canal on the same tooth????

Go get a 2nd opinion.

Do antibiotics and maybe goldenseal (which is a natural antibiotic and works great with infections) and maybe there isn't a real need for a root canal.

Pulling it seems like a good option, but if your teeth start shifting, then you may need an implant and THAT you might want to check the cost of.

In the case the idea of a root canal disturbs you, I had one on a bottom front tooth and it was no big deal. Everyone I knew had a horror story to share, but mine was honestly not an issue. Whatever you decide, I hope fear of a root canal will not be on the 'con' side, because the procedure doesn't deserve its reputation, in my experience.

You need to look at the big picture. It isn't just that you won't have a tooth there if you have it pulled. The roots from your teeth affect your actual jaw. And removing that root/tooth from your jawbone completely by pulling it, can cause degeneration of the jawbone itself.

My husband had a tooth crack about 2 years or so ago. He went in to get a crown but the tooth just disintegrated. So the remaining bits were all removed. It was STRONGLY recommended that he get in implant to retain the integrity of his jawbone. He did ($3,000 total for the entire thing, including the removal of the original tooth) and couldn't be happier with it.

Ask some questions of your dentist before you make a decision. Ask about pros and cons. And listen to what they have to say. A good question might be, "If it is pulled, instead of a root canal, are there any down sides to that?" "What can be done/Can anything be done to avoid 'side effects' of that?" etc.

it's such a dilemma!
once upon a time i'd have advised the root canal absolutely. they're horribly expensive, but having a gap in your mouth can cause all the other teeth to shift and start a slew of new problems.
however, having had a root canal go wrong, and after spending about 4 grand on one stinkin' tooth, i'm no longer so sure it's worth it. not only was it agonizing and prohibitively expensive (the 4 grand was MY responsibility after what the insurance company could be bothered with), there's the lurking danger of bacteria being introduced deep into your gums from all that surgery. (it also exists from extraction, but less so.)
my dad has been fighting various types of MRSA off and on for years, and the doctors suspect it's from all his root canals. he has a gorgeous set of teeth and they're all his, but he has paid for 'em in more ways than one.
i had one extracted when i was young and too broke to go for the root canal. it's never caused me problems and i don't have a bridge. but if there's significant shifting going on, it's a possibility.
sorry, i know this wasn't helpful. but the 'of course you get a root canal' route isn't always the best one. how confident is your dentist that, if you do elect to get a root canal, that she can get out every single bit of infection? my (former) dentist didn't and when the tooth re-erupted he was ever so casual about it.
khairete
S.

I can tell you what I have done.
I have had root canals on two back molars and crowns on each. A root canal weakens the tooth, so don't do it if you're not getting a crown.
A bridge wouldn't be necessary if there are teeth on both sides of it. I believe a bridge is used if more than O. tooth is missing--not sure.
It's expensive. I have dental insurance that has covered a portion. Most dentists will accept payments over a few months.
Good luck!

always keep a tooth if you can. Your teeth actually "feed" (for lack of a better word) your jawbones and help keep them healthy. So keep those teeth for as long as possible.

I would rather have the root canal than a pulling or filling. I have had several with my dentist and have gone back to work after the completion with no pain.

While I was pregnant with my daughter I had a piece of tooth chip off on my back right molar. All was well and no more pain. Several years later I had the tooth pulled out. About three years later I couldn't bite down properly because the tooth above had shifted downward and turned so I had to have that tooth removed. No more problems.

About three years ago I had my last root canal (long roots) and we got all the infection out but there was a small piece still left and it took about a year more to get everything under control. It resulted in sinus issues, colds and finally the absess in the tooth that antibiotics cleared up but he had to drill through the crown to do the latter part and once he "popped" through everything was fine.

So weigh your options well for the long run not just now. It sounds like your tooth is in between to other teeth for the dentist to want to do a bridge. If you are not happy with his quote get a second opinion and then make your choice.

The price quoted for the dental work is in the approved range.

The other S.

PS I am looking at a new bridge and my quote is well over $7,000 for mine. I will be paying at least $5,000 of mine.

I vote for pulling it. I have spent tens of thousands of dollars trying to save my teeth - I now have full dentures on the top and a partial plate on the bottom with only about 10 of my teeth left!

I have found that with root canals, they work for a few years, but ultimately you will lose the tooth so I don't see any need to spend money that eventually is going to go in the trash.

You do NOT HAVE to wear a bridge.

Suzanne W - if you have been quoted $7K for a bridge, you need to get another quote. I didn't pay anywhere near that amount of money for full dentures, including the cost of having the extractions by an oral surgeon!

Get it pulled. I have 2 on my bottom left missing. I never had my wisdom teeth removed so when they started coming out 2 of my teeth were broken. :( But no one notices. And it's much better than an infected tooth and pain. Plus, getting it pulled is MUCH cheaper. By the way, the dentist mentioned a bridge when I got the first tooth pulled. I never did it. You don't HAVE to do anything. :) Good luck!

So how much is the bridge?

Sounds like a no brainer to me... Root canal, prep and crown which is pricey. A crown alone here is about $1500. No idea on root canal because the last time I had one was so long ago.

You pull it then your mouth will begin to change shape.

In the end it's a personal choice. Pulling would be my last resort and only if I had non ending pain and no other choice.

I currently have 2 bridges, one of them due to a root canal that didn't include the crown so the tooth eventually got damaged and had to go. The bridge in my front (PRICEY, but worth it!) was absolutely a necessity. The bridge in the back can't be seen, but I'm under the impression that if I hadn't had it and just left a hole, the tooth on the bottom under it would actually grow up into that space. Plus, ugh, getting food caught in there! Yuck.

Both procedures were relatively easy (time-consuming, but not nearly the scary ordeal I thought they would be). I would say if the tooth really can be saved, go for the root canal and proper follow-up. If not, pull it and get the bridge.

Good luck!

I have had them pulled and not gotten a bridge. I eat just fine and when I laugh it just shows a bit if someone has the right angle into my mouth.

If you are well off then I would say go for the best and have it fixed all the way but if you are like the rest of us (lol) and it would be a struggle to have that much money then I would say think about going to a local college dental school and see if it is much less expensive to have a dental student do the work. If it's not then you'd have to decide how important it is.

A bridge can be close to $2500 nowadays. So it's not a cheap fix.

I would get a root canal, but then again, I can afford it. The last thing I will EVER want is a hole where a tooth used to be.

I think that bridges are just more mess and trouble and I would so rather not go that route.

I hope you can save your tooth.

Dawn

My former husband is a dentist. From years of hearing stories, I would do the root canal. As you age, you might need that tooth to anchor a partial or a bridge. Never pull a tooth if it can be saved.

Why don't you get a second opinion?