What actually decides it
Not the size of the infection, and not how much it hurts. What matters is whether enough healthy tooth remains above the bone for a crown to grip.
A tooth broken down to the gumline has nothing for a crown to hold onto, and a root canal on it fails within a few years. A tooth with an intact rim of structure, however infected, is usually worth saving.
The second factor is the crack. A vertical crack running down a root is the one finding that ends the conversation -- it cannot be sealed and it will keep reinfecting.
Side by side
| Root canal + crown | Extraction + implant | |
|---|---|---|
| Keeps your own root | Yes | No |
| Visits | 2 to 3 | 3 to 5, spread over months |
| Time to finish | Weeks | 4 to 9 months |
| Bone | Preserved by the root | Preserved by the implant, once placed |
| If it fails | Extraction, then implant anyway | Replacement is harder |
| Relative cost | Lower | Higher |
Why the timeline differs so much
An implant is not a tooth put in a hole. The old tooth comes out, the socket heals, the implant is placed, and then it has to fuse with the bone for three to six months before anything can be attached to it. Sometimes a graft is needed first, adding months.
A root canal and crown is weeks. When the tooth is genuinely salvageable, that difference in time and disruption is usually decisive on its own.
What not to do
Leaving it is the option that removes the choice. An infected tooth left alone loses bone around the root, and bone loss is what turns a straightforward implant into a graft and a longer wait.
Antibiotics quieten an abscess without treating it. If a course of antibiotics makes the pain go away, the infection is still there and the tooth still needs a decision.
Common questions
Asked at the front desk.
Is an implant better than a root canal?
Not as a rule. A tooth that can be saved usually should be -- your own root preserves bone and finishes in weeks rather than months. An implant is the answer when there is not enough sound tooth left for a crown to grip.
How long does an implant take from start to finish?
Four to nine months. The socket heals, the implant is placed, and it fuses with the bone for three to six months before the crown goes on. A graft adds more.
What if I do nothing?
Bone is lost around the infected root, which makes a future implant harder and can turn it into a graft. Doing nothing removes options rather than preserving them.
Can a cracked tooth have a root canal?
A crack in the crown often can. A vertical crack running down the root cannot be sealed and will keep reinfecting, so that tooth has to come out.
Next step
One phone call, and someone answers it.
3608 Carrington Rd #204, West Kelowna. Thursdays until 7pm, Fridays from 7am. Accepting new patients of every age.