Our teeth form the basic structure of our face as well as our smile. By taking the right care, this smile can last a lifetime. But problems like decaying, disease or cavity can ruin smiles.

All thanks to technological advancement in treatments that many teeth can be saved. The most popular two ways are :

1. Root Canal Treatment
2. Dental Implants.

Procedure :

A Root Canal is done to save the tooth by removing the infected pulp and refilling it with a replacement material.

Whereas, Dental implant is the process that requires removing of the original tooth and surgically inserting a metal post in the jawbone topping it off with a crown placed into the implant.

Pain Prevalence :

In Root Canal Treatment, the pain is generally bearable during the ongoing procedure, and the patient is advised for over-the-counter medications afterwards.

On the other hand, in Dental implant, the patient is given anaesthesia during the procedure, making it painless but once it wears off the discomfort starts to appear which generally stays for a period of time.

Cost Index :

One of the major deciding factors that a patient has to keep on mind while choosing the best option for himself is the cost of the treatment. For Root Canal, it generally depends upon the position of the tooth and how difficult is the situation.

Though, for a dental implant, the cost is on the higher side. It is so because the metal post which is surgically inserted is generally of titanium – a metal which is free from general side effects. Titanium tooth has a life of about 15 to 25 years if taken proper care making it long-lasting, permanent and durable.

Time Factor:

Root Canal Treatment generally takes 30 –60 min in one sitting as it takes time to carve out nerves and get the gums disinfected.

But in Dental implant, the time consumed generally depends on the number of teeth to be removed completely. It is a process constituting of three phases which vary from person to person. On average, it takes about 5 to 8 months for the entire process to be completed.

Problems faced :  

Like in every teeth treatment procedure here also the patient may face few problems. Though different in both cases.

• Common dental implant problems :
• Loosened Implant :

The most common type of problem faced by a patient with a dental implant is that they become loose and fall out. One of the reason being incorrect positioning of the metal piece and also failed placement of the crown.

Damaged Tissue:

In this case, problems arise due to damaged tissues or nerves.  Symptoms include signs of bleeding and persistent pain.

Implant infection :

This problem generally occurs to patients who have poor oral health and also because they do not take proper care of the artificial tooth.

Implant failure :

With time, the implant may become damaged even though the patient takes proper care because of situations that one cannot avoid anyhow.

• Common root canal problems :
• Infection :

Although it is of least possibility to get an infection after root canal treatment, we cannot totally ignore it. This results from bacteria entering the tooth and soft tissue during the treatment and generally treated by over-the-counter antibiotic medications.

• Tooth breakage :

After the decay that required the need of a root canal is done, it is important to fix the crown on the tooth to keep it strong. If misplaced, it may lead to tooth breakage and even requiring additional dental treatments or in the worst case, complete removal of the tooth.

• Root fracture :

This is the result of pre-existing cracks that are too tiny to be seen.

• Numbness:

The material that is used to refill the root canal may move outside the designated area of its intended placement, causing inflammation in nearby nerves, eventually leading to numbness.

Both the ways have their own set of problems that a patient may have to deal with if he goes for anyone of them. Like in every other treatment, dental treatments also need utmost care.

Neglecting issues related to teeth may lead to severe problems that would eventually lead to loss of tooth and more grave problems like that.

• Recovery :

In a successful root canal treatment, the patient may face a mild pain for a few days, which should be temporary and get better with time if one follows proper oral care.  Although if the pain persists then the patient should get in touch with the doctor at the earliest.

Whereas in dental implant it is the call of the doctor if he wants the implant to fuse with the jawbone, before fitting in permanent replacement tooth. This generally takes a time period of six weeks to six months, depending on how the patient is healing after the completion of the entire procedure.

Both the procedures have their own way of recovering from the treatments. It also depends on the patient on how much care is he taking after the treatment is completed. It is always advisable to take good care of oral health from a small age so that problems like this do not happen in the first place.

And also, it is the patient who needs the treatment so he should be able to differentiate between the two and do a detailed analysis of the above-stated points in order to understand the basic difference. Both the ways cater to two different problem areas and provide solutions on the basis of it.

The patient should always consult the dentist to discuss the problems he is facing and also to know what are the treatments that are available according to his problem. Because in the end, they are the experts in this regard and will always provide with the best solution for the problems.