I had a root canal done and it abscessed. I haven’t got it finished all the way yet. Can I safely pull the tooth, and be done with it.

Answer:

Now before you think about pulling the tooth, let’s think about some other factors that will come into play down the road.  Once that tooth is gone, the tooth behind it and the tooth across from it (in the opposite jaw) will begin to slowly drift into the open space.  This will cause the other teeth to drift also, resulting in open spaces amongst your teeth.  You will eventually have to replace the space with either a bridge, implant, or partial denture which are all pretty costly.

Root canal procedures don’t have a 100% success rate, sometimes they do fail.  However, retreatment is always an option and definitely cheaper as compared to some of your other options.  Being that your procedure wasn’t finished, the pathway for bacteria wasn’t completely blocked meaning it had an opportunity to repopulate or wasn’t completely removed.

If would be best, in the long run, if you were to return to have the procedure completed or retreated.  Yea, it may be cheaper and easier to pull the tooth now, but believe us, you may regret this decision down the road.

Good luck with your decision,

SaveMySmile Team

My dentist recommended an Implant or a dental bridge.  She explained the options but I’m still confused.  What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?

Answer:

Well let’s first describe what each option entails.  With an implant (usually a mini-screw, or blade, etc), the device is drilled directly through your bone.  Much like the root of a real tooth, it then supports a dental crown.  It looks and acts like a real tooth.

Advantages of this method include:

• esthetics (looks like a real tooth)
• Ability to easily clean it (floss, etc.)
• Looks and feels more natural

Disadvantages of this method include:

• Cost
• Implant failure (depends on location of implant but usually fairly low)

A bridge basically refers to a replacement tooth that is connected to two adjacent teeth.  Meaning, the tooth is attached to the adjoining teeth for support.  As a result, the two adjacent teeth must be crowned.

Advantages of this method include:

• Cost
• Somewhat esthetic (Not as esthetic as implants)

Disadvantages include:

• Somewhat difficult to clean
  • Because the tooth is connected to the two adjacent teeth.  It is hard to floss.  A proxy brush made be used to clean this area effectively
• Esthetics
  • As mentioned above, not as esthetic as implants
• You lose unnecessary tooth structure
  • Because the tooth needs two adjacent teeth for support, the two adjacent teeth must be crowned, causing unnecessary work on a normal tooth.

Good luck and we hope this helps with your decision!

SaveMySmile Team