Depending on the patient and the severity of his tooth’s damage and decay, alternatives to a root canal can include a tooth extraction, a direct pulp capping procedure, and even a traditional tooth filling. If a patient is eligible for a certain procedure, there are pros and cons he should consider. These pros and cons include the availability and cost, as well as how much pain the patient can expect. Another consideration is any additional dental work the patient might require. Talking with one or more dentist might help the patient make a more informed decision.
Perhaps the most common of the alternatives to a root canal is the tooth extraction. Simply put, when a patient has a tooth extraction it means the dentist pulls his tooth. Extractions are fairly quick and painless procedures. Usually, the patient can easily manage any pain and soreness he experiences in the few days following the procedure with over-the-counter pain medications. Also, extractions tend to cost significantly less than root canals.
Whether a tooth extraction is the most sensible of root canal alternatives depends on each patient’s personal situation. If the tooth is located in the back of the mouth and the extraction will pose minimal cosmetic consequences, an extraction might be ideal. On the other hand, if the tooth is in the front or side of the mouth, an extraction might not seem appealing. This is because the patient will be left with the decision to either live with a visible hole in his smile or pay the additional costs of having a replacement tooth inserted. Cosmetic considerations aside, some patients require bridges or other forms of additional dental work to be able to properly chew food and to prevent their remaining teeth from shifting after an extraction.
Another less common root canal alternative is direct pulp capping. When a dentist caps the tooth’s pulp, he is actually sealing the tooth’s nerve with an adhesive or some other material. Not all patients are eligible for pulp capping, but those who are generally pay less for the procedure than they would pay for a root canal. The procedure doesn’t always succeed, but for the relatively low percentage of patients who don’t benefit from pulp capping, a root canal is usually still an option. Direct pulp capping is not one of the more widely recognized alternatives to a root canal, but for patients who want to avoid root canals or extractions, the procedure is worth asking about.
If neither of these alternatives to a root canal sounds appealing, the patient might want to seek a second opinion from another dentist. Some dentists will recommend a root canal even if the tooth isn’t yet abscessed or infected. At the same time, not every dentist believes getting a root canal is the only option for a severely decayed tooth. A regular tooth filling might be an option if the decay is significant but hasn’t yet reached the nerve, and the patient has no abscess, infection, or pain. The patient might end up needing a root canal in the future, but for the present he will have a relatively pain-free and much less expensive root canal alternative.