Three Ways You Can Avoid A Root Canal Treatment
Posted on: 16 January 2018
Share
One of the biggest misconceptions about root canal treatment is that it is painful. However, this is more myth than fact, as it is the infection in the tooth causing the pain, not the procedure to save the tooth. If you are someone who will do anything to avoid dental treatment outside of the yearly clean and checkup, then you might be wondering how to avoid having root canal treatment. There are three ways to achieve this.
Daily dental care and annual checkups
Every dentist advocates the same thing—if you care for your teeth correctly, then you will avoid tooth problems. A root canal procedure is required because you have gum disease, tooth trauma or deep decay which has allowed an infection to develop in the tooth pulp.
A tooth trauma, such as a knocked-out tooth, is the only incident you can't intentionally avoid, as it is an unpredictable accident. Gum disease and tooth decay are avoidable when you brush and floss your teeth twice a day. Additionally, a regular dentist checkup catches decay in the beginning before it turns into a more significant problem.
Once the infection gets into your tooth pulp, you need to decide between a root canal procedure or having the tooth extracted.
Remove the infected tooth
Tooth extraction is not the preferred method for a dentist to treat an infected tooth. When you opt to remove the tooth, there can be complications when other teeth around it move into the space left behind. However, removing a tooth is your prerogative. Regarding cost, the removal of a tooth is cheaper. The average tooth extraction costs $185 compared to the preparation of a root canal which averages $278. However, after the completion of a root canal treatment, you will need a crown and this cost averages $1558.
The location of the tooth has a significant bearing on whether you are prepared to pull the tooth or save it. Saving a front tooth is a lot more desirable than your back molar.
Future dental techniques
The other way to avoid a root canal is to hope for future dental methods which will make a root canal a thing of the past. For example, a research team has discovered a way for teeth to regenerate themselves naturally. If their biomaterial breakthrough becomes available to the public, your tooth could repair itself, and that means no root canal procedure.
However, until there is a replacement for root canals, take care of your teeth and make sure you visit your dentist annually so they can stop any decay in its tracks.