I have three broken, decayed teeth. I know that I neglected them. I also think you may not be able to give advice on a specific case, but thought I’d give it a shot anyway. My dentist seems to think that they must be extracted and that the only option is dental implants. Two of those teeth have a lot of teeth structure still left. I don’t understand why I can’t just have a root canal and a crown on those teeth. Also, why do I HAVE to have implant? Aren’t there other options?
Thanks for all your help. Bethany Q. – Indiana
Bethany,
I am a little leary when dentists don’t give all your options. First, I’m going to recommend you get a second opinion. In many cases a tooth can still be saved with a root canal. The exception being when the decay goes all the way through the tooth to the underside. However, even if the teeth do have to be extracted, you don’t necessarily have to replace them with implants. For instance sometimes a dental bridge is a better option, especially if your adjacent teeth need a crown anyway. You can read more about this on our dental implant versus bridge page.
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