Root Canal Procedures

No.

Why not? If the jaw is capacious enough to hold the wisdom teeth without overcrowding, and the dentist thinks a root canal is the way to go, why not save the tooth? I have had several root canals and they beat not having teeth in those spots.

p.s. I kept my wisdom teeth until they absolutely had to go. The last one went when I was in my late thirties.

I thought that wisdom teeth were supposed to be extracted prior to adulthood. If you're going to have an extraction, why have a root canal then?

I've had mine pulled.

I still have mine and none of them is decayed.

They're not "supposed to be extracted." They often are extracted, because of overcrowding in the jaw, infection or abcess, or other problems, but if they're not causing problems there's no reason to pull them out. Likewise, if they are causing problems and the problem can be fixed without extraction, one reason to do a root canal rather than an extraction is that the opposing wisdom tooth will continue to erupt (out of the jaw) if it doesn't have anything opposite it.

That's what happened to one of mine. An upper wisdom tooth had to be removed because of infection and about twenty years later the lower one had to go because at that point it was about an eighth-inch taller than the other lower teeth. If it had been left too much longer removal would have been very complex because of lack of space above it.

If I could have had a root canal on that upper tooth, I'd still have both wisdom teeth on that side.

My dentist told me that the wisdom teeth should be extracted
BEFORE they cause trouble.

:wink: :wink:

Definately get a second opinion, from a dentist who has had much experience (not that your present dentist hasn't).

Root canals by dentists can be tricky - you should go to an endodontist (I think that's what they're called).

Good luck.

Those without dental insurance often elect to have a tooth extracted instead of having a root canal procedure. Tooth extraction costs about $250, and a root canal procedure costs about $250/canal.

Big difference.