Question:
I was told today that I should have a root canal done on #19. Is there
an alternative. I would also need a post and a crown. Can I just have
the tooth pulled and "live" without the post and the crown. I dont want
to have the surgery. I recentley had open heart and want to know if
theres an alternative to a root canal.
Answer:
Yes, you have an alternative to a root canal - remove the tooth. That
is NOT the best option. There would most likely be more 'surgery'
involved in removing the tooth than doing the root canal, post, and
crown. You probably didn't 'want' the heart surgery done but you
listened to your physician and followed his advice. Now you should
listen to your dentist and do the same.
Your recent surgery (hope you are doing well) should have no effect
whatsoever on the success or failure of the root canal. Neither will
the root canal have any effect on the healing from your heart surgery.
Either way - root canal or extraction - be sure to ask your heart
surgeon if he would recommend antibiotics before having any dental work
done.
Yep. However, it is the same as taking one stone out of an arch. In
time, the integrity of the arch disappears. The arch collapses. It
also happens with the "dental arch."
Or get a nice replacement, varying from the complex to the simple. You
might want to consider EastFlex technology as a simple replacement.
The root canal may be less invasive than the extraction!
I said "may" so antibiotics may or may not be recommended depending on
the specific procedure and the specific etiology.
There is an alternative, you just won't have a tooth there any more.
