Dentist wants to pull my second molar and hope that the wisdom tooth grows into its place on its own instead of rct? (Photo)

Question

Hi, I have a pretty large cavity on tooth 18, that my dentist says is like right at the nerve. It doesn’t hurt or cause me any pain really, but he says it’s pretty deep. He said it would work to get a root canal and crown, but he doesn’t think that it’s best for the long term. Instead he wants to extract it and hope that wisdom tooth #17 grows into its place on its own. From my research online, this seems highly unlikely. I am 20, and don’t want to be without a tooth there. Is it for the best?

Cameron Hyer, DMD · Answer

Your dentist has a good point. In most cases, a tooth with a root canal would not last more than a few decades. If you pull the 2nd molar and use braces to move the wisdom tooth, then you might have a healthy, living tooth for a lifetime. That being said, I always want to save teeth when possible. Before pulling it, you should talk to some orthodontists and make sure you can find someone that is confident about move the wisdom tooth into place. Moving molars laterally like that might take a few years.

Dentist wants to pull my second molar and hope that the wisdom tooth grows into its place on its own instead of rct? (Photo)

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