If a root canal fails, can I replace it with an implant?

The dentist tells me I need to do a root canal on my 1st molar. The bicuspid next to it has a root canal. I’m considering doing implants on them both, but I don’t know if the root canaled tooth is a candidate for implantation. Also, I’m wondering if I get the tooth extracted now, can I make the implant/root canal pronouncement later?

Answer by Joe D
sure

Answer by LynT
If you get the tooth extracted there will be no real need to do a root canal later. Basically a root canal is when they drill down and remove the nerve ending of the tooth. If there’s no tooth, they won’t need to do that.

You could though still get the implants later if it’s extracted now.

If you do a root canal now- you could have the tooth extracted later and have an implant place in… but i doubt you would need to. After they do the root canal they will cap the tooth and it will look fantastic (they have white caps now so they look normal….)

Hope that helps.

Answer by bmac
If the root canal fails, they would pull the tooth. So it has nothing to do with implanting your own tooth. It would be a porcelain implant. They do cost about $ 2,000 a piece. I got 2 after 2 root canals cracked and the teeth split into pieces.

Answer by Dr. Albert, DDS
YOU NEED TO DISCUSS THESE OPTIONS WITH THE DENTIST. UNDERSTAND THAT DENTAL INSURANCE DOES NOT PAY FOR ANY IMPLANTS. TO HAVE THE TOOTH REPLACED BY AN IMPLANT-SUPPORTED CROWN YOU’RE PROBABLY LOOKING AT $ 1,500 FOR THE IMPLANT ALONE, AND THE COST OF THE CROWN ATTACHMENT AND CROWN $ 1,000. BOTH OF THESE PRICES ARE CONSERVATIVE AND THE LITERAL COSTS MAY BE GREATER.
ANOTHER THING TO CONSIDER IS THE HEALING TIME WITH AN IMPLANT BEFORE A CROWN IS THERE TO CHEW WITH. THIS CAN BE 3 – 6 MONTHS.

Answer by LittleMermaid
If you get the tooth extracted, there will be no way to choose a root canal later. The root will be gone, therefore there would be no way to do a rootcanal. Many people are confused about exactly what a rootcanl is. It is not removing the root of the tooth, as I have heard many people say. It is removing the nerve from the inside of the root and filling it with a synthetic material.

Now as for the tooth that already has the rootcanal, it having already having a rootcanal has nothing to do with it being a candidate for an implant. The tooth would have to be removed in order for an implant to be placed anyways.

As for the first molar, I will say that there is about a 20% failure rate for rootcanals (higher or lower depending on many different factors), and there is only like a 2% failure rate on an implant.
If you do have the teeth removed, it would be best, considering that you already mentioned that they are posterior teeth, that you have bone grafting done and allow it to heal for about 10 wks. before an implant is placed. I do not recommend that an implant be placed immediatly. The bone graft is impeccably safe, it is not taken from you, it is harvested usually from donors or it is synthetic. Even the type that is harvested is impeccably safe, as it undergoes severe government testing to make sure it is impeccably safe and disease free.

I sort of agree with the dentist who answered about the insurance issue, but I have seen a couple of insurance companies that state that they take in part of the cost of implants, though most do not.

All dentists charge different amounts, as my office is considered one of the higher end offices, in my area, but this is what you would pay in my office for taking the tooth out and doing an implant:

extraction of each tooth: $ 278
bone grafting:$ 300 for the first one and $ 200 for each additional site
Implant: $ 1650 a piece
implant crown: $ 1250

So basically a total of $ 6856.00 for both. Yeah, that is alot of money for 2 teeth, but it all comes down to what is the best choice for you. I can tell you that in my office it would run you around $ 1850 to do a rootcanal, buildup and crown on a molar. We, unlike many other offices, give a 5 year “warranty” on rootcanals, and if it failed in that time, given that you were keeping up with normal checkups each 6-12 months, we would credit what you paid on the tooth, towards the cost of the implant procedure. Most dentists, I don’t believe, would do this.

Excellent luck on your choice!

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