what's the difference btwn a root canal and getting the tooth extracted?

Answer 1

An extraction means that the tooth is removed permanently. It leaves a space between the teeth on either side, and should have some sort of bridge put in to replace it. Otherwise, the flanking teeth can shift, and that will change your bite - ie, how your upper teeth meet with your lower teeth. That can lead to further problems.

A root canal means that the top of the tooth is ground or cut off, and the nerve tissue that grows down the roots of the tooth is removed. Then a filling material is put in there, and an artificial crown is put on top of the tooth. This leaves something in that space, so that the other teeth don't move around. It's usually better for you in the long run, and is viewed as a more conservative approach than removing the tooth. Obviously, this is done if the tooth is dead already - few dentists would destroy a living tooth like this if they didn't have the choice.

Popular opinion and jokes say that a root canal is painful. I've had one or two, and with good anesthesia, it's not a problem. It takes longer than just a filling, but it's nothing to dread.

Answer 2

Root canal treatment means keeping the tooth but only taking out the pulp and then filling the tooth with a filling material. Tooth extraction means taking the tooth out.

Answer 3

If you get the tooth extracted then you neet to get a tooth to replace it like a bridge or a partial plate (false choppers like your grandma has) . My husband lost a tooth in an accident and he got a bridge and years later the bridge was causing problems with a adjoined tooth and hea had a lot of dental problems.
If you get a root canal, they kill the root of the tooth and put a crown on it. No big deal. It is the simplest of the two in the end because you don't get other problems.

Answer 4

Keeping the tooth is preferred. When you have a space the other teeth start to shift and you can have all sorts of problems.