Root Canal and worried?

Question

well im 13 and have to either get a tooth pulled or root canal but its up to my mom and shes making me get a root canal she says if you can save the tooth save it i want to know what would be better and how long does each process take?

Answer 1

I just had a root canal last week and it took under 30 minutes, molar. I have had them before and this time it was less uncomfortable than having a regular filling! I got a big shot and after that it went very smoothly. I hope you have a good endodontist and have a better experience that what you have heard! Good luck.. and yes at 13 better to go root canal. If you have teeth pulled then there is nothing there to chomp down on and eventually the tooth that was either under or above the missing one starts to move.

Answer 2

Generally, if you're able to save the tooth, that's the best option. Once you start removing teeth, you either have to get fake teeth (which is hear is a painful, expensive process) or you run the risk of your other teeth shifting once you have the empty space where your other tooth was.

I had a root canal about 6 years ago, and it was not pleasant. The whole root canal process took multiple visits, each about an hour. The last time I had teeth pulled was when I was a kid, and it was a fairly easy process, took less than an hour. Good luck!

Answer 3

I had the same choice when I was your age and I went with the root canal.

Extraction doesn't take very long. Try to get them to put you out as much as they can. I'm an adult and I chose to be put under with sodium pentathol so I was unconscious. I would say that it takes less than a half hour. You have to wear cotton in the empty place where your tooth was for about 4-8 hours because of the bleeding. You are not suppose to suck on anything for a week or so, so things with straws will be off limits to you.

A root canal is where they drill down into the tooth and remove one or more roots that have become infected. They will more than likely give to Novocaine and completely numb the area. If it's an option, have them give you nitrous-oxide (or laughing gas), it will make things a lot less stressful. It will take about 2 weeks for the area to heal. The worst part is right after when the Novocaine wears off.

Please, let this be a valuable lesson. It is VERY important to take care of your teeth. It really suck to have to wear dentures!

Answer 4

If it's a 1st molar (6th from the front), then saving it by doing an RCT would be preferable to an extraction. 1st molars are the most strategically important teeth in your head, and their loss can lead to tipping of the 2nd molar behind into the space. This is not desirable as in the long term you will have a poor bite and diffficulty cleaning in this area. If you do have an RCT, make sure you factor in the cost of a full-coverage crown (PFM) as well. Otherwise, RCT'd molars are likely to fracture at a later date. An RCT plus crown would usually take 4 appointments.
However, if it's a 2nd molar (7th from the front), then I would suggest a panoramic radiograph (OPG) to see if you are growing any wisdom teeth (3rd molars). If so, then an extraction may be better, as the wisdom tooth may be in a good position to move up and replace the extracted 2nd molar. An extraction is only 1 appointment plus another for the OPG, and possibly an orthodontic opinion if the dentist is unsure.

Answer 5

It's not something to look forward too but not all that bad either. If all you're getting is a simple root canal basically they just hollow out the tooth and refill it. Takes a couple hours.

If you need also need a crown you'll be fitted with a temporary cap then a couple weeks later you'll get the final crown.

Answer 6

If it is one of your permanent teeth you want to save it. It costs more initially but will save you a fortune down the line.

Answer 7

EXTRACTING A PERANENT TOOTH IS NOT LIKE GETTING A HAIRCUT.
IT WILL NOT JUST GROW BACK.
SAVING A PERMANENT TOOTH IS IMPORTANT. LATER ON YOU WILL NEED A CROWN FOR THIS TOOTH.