Root Canal or Dental Implant?

Patients may have a tooth with particular problems which create the decision to either try to save the tooth or to rather have it extracted and have a dental implant placed. The best decision is based upon the findings. The best decision can be arrived at by the dentist and by the patient working together. Now, if a patient goes to an oral surgeon, the oral surgeon cannot by law provide root canal therapy. Oral surgeons see the failures of root canals based upon their work and thus may see little good in root canal therapy. However, that view is skewed. Root canal therapy is very successful in many instances.
So which is best, root canal therapy or an extraction followed by an implant? This is dependent upon the condition of the tooth. If the tooth has had root canal therapy, and if it deemed that the treatment was done very well, and if an abscess is apparent, the dentist or endodontist may decide that re-treatment is not recommended. In these cases extraction may be best.
If the root canal-treated tooth was not well-treated originally, then perhaps re-treatment would be best. There are not guarantees but perhaps saving the tooth is very much best.
If the tooth has not been treated with root canal therapy and if the anatomy seems conducive to a successful root canal treatment, then of course root canal treatment is best. These procedures can be very successful. Please do not allow any dentist of any kind to tell you that root canal treatments are no longer recommended and are not very successful; research does not support that opinion. In these cases please seek a good second opinion. If you want to seek another dentist or endodontist on your own, then online reviews can be a great way to find one. A general dentist can be very qualified in performing root canal therapy. An endodontist may be best for re-treating a root canal.
If a tooth has a root fracture, severe periodontal disease, or other problem that makes the prognosis more guarded with doing root canal treatment, then an extraction and an implant may well be best. The implant procedures can be very successful.
In whatever you do, you certainly want to obtain care from someone you trust and feel comfortable with. If you are interested in an opinion from me we welcome your reaching us from any method you see available to you on this web page.