Dental Implants or Root Canal Treatment – What’s better for you?

Who needs an endodontic (root canal treatment) when people can get implants, right? Well, it’s not that simple. Choosing one procedure or the other will depend on multiple factors and personal specifics. What seems to be the right solution for one individual isn’t going to be that beneficial for somebody else.

So, should you opt for a root canal treatment or dental implants? The following will attempt to give you the answer.

Success Rates

Before going into personal factors, it’s important to take a look at the success rates of the two treatments and figure out whether any significant differences exist. Clinical studies suggest that root canal treatments and dental implants have approximately the same success level.

Researchers from University of Alabama collected and analysed patient records. The scope of their study included 129 dental implant treatments and 139 root canal treatments. The success rates for both procedures (meaning that the treated teeth were still in the mouth of the patient) varied between 98 and 99 per cent.

The only difference was the need for further intervention that didn’t involve tooth removal. Such additional procedures were needed in 12 per cent of the dental implants treatment and only in one per cent of the root canal treatments.

Personal Health Factors

Several health and physiology-related factors will need to be examined by an experienced dentist before one procedure or the other gets chosen.

People that smoke, diabetes sufferers and individuals that suffer from any immune condition are at a higher risk of experiencing complications in the case of dental implants. A root canal treatment is vastly recommended for such individuals.

The remaining tooth structure will also have to be examined. There should be enough of it for an endodontic treatment to take place. Otherwise, the dentist will probably recommend getting dental implants.

A Few Additional Considerations

Your dentist will tell you everything that you need to know about the two procedures, in case you can get either. This information will be very helpful for making an informed decision about one option or the other.

Most dentist will recommend saving the natural tooth rather than getting an implant. If you’ve lost a tooth already, however, getting it replaced quickly will be essential for maintaining your oral health. Sometimes, root canal therapy isn’t going to deliver long-lasting benefits (especially if the tooth has been damaged extensively). An experienced dentist will be capable of having the condition of the teeth thoroughly evaluated and recommending one procedure or the other to a patient.

The answer to the question posed in the title of the blog isn’t simple. Universal solutions that will give all patients the best results don’t exist. This is why building a trusting relationship with your dentist is of uttermost importance. You’ll get personalised suggestions and adequate advice that will spare you from overly invasive procedures and lead to the desired oral health improvements.

If you are pondering between dental implants or root canal treatment and not sure what will suit for your oral needs, do get in touch with us and let us help you make an informed decision.