3 Reasons To Have A Root Canal Or Dental Implant Instead Of Having An Extraction And Leaving A Gap
Often, if your infected tooth is causing a great amount of discomfort, a dentist will offer you several treatment options, such as a root canal or a dental extraction, to remove the infected material. When faced with the choice of having a tooth extracted or having a root canal, you may feel uncertain of what to do. If an extraction is selected, your dentist may be able to install a dental implant at the site of the missing tooth. On the other hand, a root canal allows you to keep your current tooth. Here are a few benefits of choosing an implant or a root canal instead of having a tooth extracted and leaving the gap in place:
Less Undesirable Movement of the Teeth
Additional spaces in a person's mouth can allow teeth to have enough room to start to shift. The shifting is basically a migration of the teeth from their original position. Once this occurs, it must be corrected orthodontically.
Since a root canal and a dental implant both prevent a space being left in the mouth, teeth are less likely to migrate after one of these procedures.
No Dental Gaps to Detract From Your Appearance
When a tooth is extracted, especially if it is near the front of the mouth, it can make a person's smile look less attractive.
When a root canal is completed, the restored tooth has the appearance of a natural, healthy tooth. After a root canal, the tooth is usually capped with a porcelain or porcelain-over-metal crown. The color of the porcelain is matched to the natural hue of the patient's other teeth, and the crown shape is designed from a mold of the patient's mouth.
Likewise, when a person chooses a dental implant, the implant is covered by a dental crown which is fashioned in the same manner as the crown used to cover a root canal.
Protection of Jawbone Density
A root canal allows the patient's natural tooth to remain in his or her mouth. The root canal involves the removal of the tissue from inside the tooth, but the roots of the tooth still remain firmly in place inside the jawbone.
A dental implant is installed by drilling the metal rod or screw directly into the jawbone. Since both procedures allow bite pressure to continue to be transmitted to the jawbone, the bone continues to receive stimulation for the development of new bone cells. This can help protect the jawbone density and prevent the face from taking on a sagging, aged appearance.
To learn more advantages of a dental implant or a root canal, schedule a consultation with a local dentist.
