Root Canal vs. Tooth Extraction: How to Choose and Save Your Tooth in Dublin 7
Root Canal or Extraction: Which Should You Choose?
When a tooth is badly infected or damaged, you have two options: a root canal, which removes the infection and saves your natural tooth, or an extraction, which removes the tooth completely and leaves a gap that later needs an implant, bridge or denture. At DentiCare in Dublin 7, our philosophy is simple: whenever medically possible, saving your natural tooth is the healthier and more cost-effective choice.
When faced with severe toothache, dental trauma, or a deep infection, patients often ask us the same question during an emergency dentist appointment: “Should I just get the tooth pulled, or is it worth saving with a root canal?”
While both treatments eliminate the immediate pain, the choice you make today will have a lasting impact on your smile, your oral health, and your wallet. At DentiCare Phibsborough, our philosophy is simple: preserving your natural teeth is always the best choice. Contact our Dublin 7 team today at 087 415 4835 to find out if your tooth can be saved.
What's the Difference?
Root Canal Treatment (Endodontics): A root canal is a tooth-saving procedure. When the inner nerve of a tooth becomes infected, your dentist carefully removes the infected pulp, cleans and disinfects the inside of the root, and seals it completely. The tooth is then restored with a filling or a dental crown, and it continues to function just like a healthy one.
Tooth Extraction: An extraction removes the tooth completely from your jawbone. It is a quick fix to the pain, but it leaves a permanent gap that will eventually need a prosthetic replacement (a dental implant, bridge or denture) to restore your chewing and stop your other teeth from shifting.
5 Reasons Why Saving Your Natural Tooth is Better
- Nothing Beats Natural: No artificial replacement will ever feel, function, or look exactly like your natural tooth.
- Prevents Shifting Teeth: When a tooth is removed, the surrounding teeth drift into the gap, ruining your bite and creating hard-to-clean areas where plaque builds up.
- Protects Your Jawbone: Tooth roots stimulate the jawbone with every bite. After an extraction the bone stops receiving this stimulation and slowly shrinks, which can prematurely age your facial structure.
- Less Invasive, Faster Recovery: With modern anesthesia a root canal feels similar to a routine filling, while extraction is a surgical procedure with a longer, more uncomfortable recovery.
- More Cost-Effective Long Term: An extraction is never just an extraction – it is the beginning of a much more expensive replacement journey.
Are You Ready To Start?
The True Cost Comparison: Extraction vs. Root Canal
- The “Cheap” Route (Extraction): A routine extraction costs around €100–€200, but you are left with a missing tooth. Replacing it with a dental implant and implant crown starts from €1,780, and complex cases may also need bone grafting (€200–€450).
- The Smart Route (Root Canal): A root canal (from €540) plus a protective crown solves the problem permanently in a few visits – and root canal treatments are eligible for 20% MED 2 tax relief in Ireland.
- The Bottom Line: Saving money with an extraction almost always costs significantly more when it’s time to replace the missing tooth. Compare all our fees on our pricing page.
When is Tooth Extraction Necessary?
While we always aim to save teeth, there are situations where an extraction is the only viable medical option:
- Deep fracture: The tooth is split or broken completely beneath the gum line.
- Severe gum disease: Periodontal disease has destroyed the bone supporting the tooth.
- Impacted wisdom teeth: Wisdom teeth causing severe crowding or repeated infections.
If an extraction is unavoidable, our team will gently remove the tooth and immediately discuss the best replacement options, such as dental implants, to restore your smile.
Frequently asked questions
Not at all. With the advanced numbing techniques we use at DentiCare, a root canal relieves the intense pain caused by the infection. The procedure itself is comfortable and straightforward.
When properly treated and restored with a high-quality dental crown, a saved tooth can easily last a lifetime with regular brushing and dental check-ups.
Once the infected nerve is removed, the tooth structure can become brittle over time. A dental crown acts like a protective helmet, restoring the tooth’s full strength so you can chew normally.
We strongly advise against it. A missing tooth causes your adjacent teeth to shift, alters your bite, and leads to jawbone deterioration.
Severe throbbing pain is a sign of an active infection. Contact our Emergency Dentist in Dublin immediately so we can assess the tooth and get you out of pain today.
Don't Lose Your Natural Smile!
📍 Location: 340A N Circular Rd, Phibsborough, Dublin 7 D07 C9HE
📞 Book your free Consultation: 087 4154835
💻 Book Online: Visit: www.denticare.ie
📧 Email: info@denticare.ie
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