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.

Dental surgery can cause bacteria in the mouth to enter the bloodstream and cause infections in other parts of the body. People who have a difficult time fighting off infections may need to take antibiotics before and after dental surgery. Such people include those who have artificial heart valves or were born with heart defects.