Overview
When decay or a crack reaches the nerve, there are usually two ways forward: clean out and seal the root canal system so you keep the tooth, or remove the tooth and decide what (if anything) replaces it. Neither is automatically right — but the comparison has some reliable rules of thumb.
Root canal treatment keeps your own root in the bone. Nothing artificial matches a natural root for feel, function and preserving the jawbone around it, and a root-treated tooth restored with a crown can last many years. Extraction is quicker and cheaper on the day — but the true comparison is extraction plus the replacement: an implant, bridge or denture usually costs more than the root canal would have, and a gap left unfilled lets neighbouring teeth drift and bone shrink.
Sometimes extraction genuinely is the better call: a tooth split below the gum, too little sound structure left to rebuild, or gum disease that has already loosened it. Our job is to tell you which side of the line your tooth sits on — including when we think saving it is not worth your money.
What to know
- Nothing replaces a natural root — saving the tooth is usually first preference
- Compare root canal against extraction PLUS the replacement, not extraction alone
- An unfilled gap lets teeth drift and bone shrink quietly
- Some teeth are genuinely not worth saving — we will tell you when
- A root-treated back tooth usually needs a crown to protect it
Common questions
Is a root canal just delaying an inevitable extraction?
Isn't an implant just as good as my own tooth?
What happens if I just take the tooth out and leave the gap?
Which is more painful?
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