Root Canal vs. Extraction: Why Saving Your Tooth Matters

When a tooth is badly infected, patients often ask whether they should have a root canal or simply pull the tooth. In most cases, saving the natural tooth with root canal therapy is the better long-term choice.

Natural teeth preserve your normal bite, keep neighboring teeth from shifting, and maintain the bone in your jaw. Replacing an extracted tooth with an implant or bridge is typically more expensive and time-consuming than treating and keeping the original tooth.

Modern endodontic techniques — magnification, 3D imaging, and gentle instrumentation — make root canals highly predictable, with success rates well above 90% for most teeth.

There are cases where a tooth cannot be saved, and we will always be honest with you about the prognosis. But when a tooth can be saved, it usually should be.