Surgery

You may need surgery if tooth decay has damaged the pulp and the tooth.

Surgery Choices

• In extraction, your dentist removes the decayed tooth.
• In root canal treatment, your dentist removes the pulp from the center of a tooth and fills the pulp cavity.

What to think about

After removing your tooth, your dentist will replace it with a bridge or an implant.

If your tooth is severely damaged, it may be easier and may cost less to remove the tooth than to have a root canal treatment. If you have root canal treatment, you will need a crown.

If you have certain heart problems, your dentist may prescribe antibiotics before dental surgery. Surgery can cause bacteria in the mouth to enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of the body. The antibiotics lower your risk of getting an infection in your heart called endocarditis. For more information, see People Who Need Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis and Procedures That May Require Antibiotics to Prevent Endocarditis.