Should i get a root removed if its causing me no pain?

the deftone

Hey guys,

So I went to the dentist 2 weeks ago to get a tooth removed as it was causing me pain. While I was there the dentist noticed i had 2 bad roots that need to be extracted. However they have been there years and have never caused me a problem. Is it necessary to have them removed now? When I got my tooth removed 2 weeks ago its caused allot of pain and took me almost a week to recover from, I really don't fancy going through all that again unless I really have to...

Oral Surgeon

Hi there,
Yes & No depending on the specifics

Yes
If the root is as you say bad and the top is visible or felt in the mouth then it is at risk of becoming infected from the multiple types of bacteria in the mouth. These infections can be serious, inconvenient and are usually avoidable by sorting it sooner.

No
If the root is only seen on xray and not visible in your mouth (ie. it is completely buried and covered by gum) then it may be ok to leave in place as in general things only become infected if in communication with the bugs in the mouth...
Some roots seen on xray are there so long that there is no distinguishable ligament outline as the body now sees the root as bone and not a root. The root is then resorbed and remodeled as if it was bone- best to leave these alone too......

Good luck ,
OS

SheFiend

Just to set your mind at ease.. These roots, if old, will probably slip out a lot easier than whole teeth. I had two extractions done in one sitting with no anaesthetic; no pain, just a bit of pressure as the dentist prised them out. took 5 minutes. Worth doing if the crown is gone and root exposed; Absesses can develop on open roots due to infection, and these are agonising! It's best not to wait untill they develop before you do something about it!

Wyldwood

I also had a root taken out earlier this year while having a filling on an adjacent tooth. Took no time and was not painful at all.

the deftone

Hey guys, thanks so much for the replys, iv decided to just go for it and get them taken out, they will probably just cause me trouble down the road. Thanks for putting my mind at ease about the whole thing.

Cheers

SheFiend

Good man, you won't regret it

Eriu79

SheFiend wrote: »

Good man, you won't regret it

This^^^

unreggd

Defo get it out!

I lost a tooth due to a bad filling and bad advice, but the root remained

kept gettin back infections now and again

Also, it keeps an open wound in the gum, which is very bad for their general health

Removal is pretty straight forward

Good luck!