An infected tooth can lead to other dental complications, which is why immediate treatment is essential. One alternative to a root canal treatment is to extract the infected tooth. But we encourage patients to save the natural teeth whenever possible. While tooth replacement is available with bridges and implants, nothing is as good as your natural tooth. A root canal treatment allows you to keep your original tooth and avoid extraction. Additionally, a root canal treatment is cheaper compared to the cost of extraction followed by an implant or bridge to replace the tooth.

Some patients may experience tooth pain initially and then it goes away on its own or with the help of antibiotics. Just because it has stopped hurting doesn’t mean it is no longer infected. Root canal treatment is designed to disinfect the inside of the tooth (the source of infection) and stop the spread of infection. Some patients may never experience pain with an infected tooth. In fact, root canal infection is often discovered through routine radiographs and/or clinical examination. The tooth may have a chronic infection that the body has accommodated enough to not have gone beyond the patient’s pain threshold. Prior to performing any root canal, the dentist will thoroughly examine all radiographic and clinical findings to determine if a root canal is indicated.

Infection and inflammation in the nerve of the tooth can occur because of decay or crack that has spread throughout the tooth or a previous large restoration on the tooth. If the infection is left untreated, then it often results in pain and can lead to the formation of an abscess.

Saving your tooth through root canal treatment is less expensive than replacing a missing tooth with a bridge or an implant.