According to the National Children’s Oral Health Foundation, “More than 51 million school hours and 164 million work hours are lost each year due to dental disease, leading to increased educational disparities and decreased productivity.” (Tooth Decay Facts)

• In our line of work we’re not surprised to see these types of statistics. We commonly hear from patients in pain, “I think the tooth just needs to be pulled.” Where do patients get the idea to just pull a tooth? You aren’t just doing anything! The implications of pulling a tooth are permanent, can be detrimental and complicated, and patients owe themselves an opportunity to speak to a dentist prior to making this decision.

• Many patients get the idea from an emergency room doctor because tooth pain can be so severe that the patient ends up in the ER in the middle of the night and the ER doctor will recommend an extraction. Emergency room doctors are amazing at what they do and they are specialists of the body.

• Dentists are the ONLY medical professional that can diagnose problems inside the oral cavity. So, the next time a doctor, friend, family member, or anyone besides a dentist tell you you can just pull a tooth, take their suggestion kindly and call the dental office.

Root Canal Procedure
Dentists are in the business of saving teeth and a root canal procedure can do just that. When a tooth is infected, a root canal can alleviate pain, remove infection, and keep a tooth stable for decades to come. A root canal can take between 2 and 4 visits.

A root canal can cost anywhere between $500-$1000 and needs to be followed up by additional services such as a post and a porcelain crown. The total procedure from beginning to end can cost $1,500-$3,500 depending on which tooth is infected, what dentist you see, and the actual services performed. Our dental office provides financing, as most should, so patients can keep their beautiful smiles in tact!

BENEFITS OF A ROOT CANAL PROCEDURE:

• Patients keep their natural teeth.
• Patients keep their ability to chew.
• Patients have a beautiful smile without gaps.

Tooth extractions, initially, are the most affordable options to help an infected tooth.  That does come with a downside. Removing a tooth will create a gap in the smile that can be unattractive. Additionally, the bite will be off and can make it difficult to chew food. Soon after an extraction the teeth adjacent to the tooth that was pulled will begin to drift into the empty space, creating an even more difficult bite to deal with as the top teeth will no longer meet the bottom teeth in a comfortable way. That will make it more difficult to eat and can be very uncomfortable.

Missing teeth will need to be replaced with a partial denture, a dental bridge, or a dental implant, all of which have additional costs associated with them. So while initially extracting a tooth is an affordable option, the lifetime of problems that will arise are many and the added costs of replacing the missing tooth make it a less affordable option in the long run.