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Oral Health Made Simple: Your Prescription For Knowledge
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Q: I have a back molar that has been broken and there is an infection. I am taking antibiotics to clear the infection and the dentist said I have to decide whether to have the tooth removed or to get a root canal. I am thinking extraction, but many people are telling me a root canal would be better. The cost of a root canal would be about $900 and then I would need a crown too. What do you recommend?
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Dara Rosenberg, D.D.S., M.S., M.P.H..

Dara Rosenberg, D.D.S., M.S., M.P.H., is the director of the Department of Dentistry at St Barnabas Hospital, Bronx, New York. She is an associate clinical professor at Columbia School of Dental Medicine and a fellow of the American College of Dentists.

Dr. Rosenberg was a Robert Wood Johnson Health Scholar at UCLA, where the course of study focused on health services research. She has been involved with laser dentistry for more than 15 years, and is on the Executive Board of the World Clinical Laser Institute.

November 5, 2008
A:

There is no substitute for your own tooth. If your tooth can easily be treated with a root canal and crown, do it. If the tooth is badly broken, and will be difficult to restore after the root canal, then sometimes it is better to extract it. However, it should then be replaced with an implant and crown, or a three-unit bridge. It is very important to fill the space so that the other teeth will not move into it.

Dentists frequently charge the same price for a root canal and crown, a single implant and crown, and a three-unit bridge. You can talk with your dentist about your options.

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