Root Canals and Extractions

When decay or a crack reaches the nerve, the tooth has two paths. Root canal treatment cleans out the inside and seals it, leaving the tooth in place — usually followed by a crown, because a tooth treated that way has lost structure and needs covering. Extraction takes the tooth out. Neither is the automatic answer.

The decision turns on specifics: how much healthy tooth remains above the gum, whether the root is cracked, what the bone around it looks like, and where the tooth sits in your bite. A dentist can only judge that with an exam and images. Anyone telling you which one you need over the phone is guessing.

If a tooth does come out, what fills the space afterward is a separate specialty and a separate conversation. We do not handle tooth replacement here; ask the treating dentist what your options are and who they work with.

What this usually involves

• Root canal treatment and the crown that usually follows
• Extractions, including teeth broken at the gum line
• Wisdom teeth evaluation and referral
• A plain explanation of why one option over the other
• Ask any office how often they do the procedure being recommended

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