Emergency Treatment Options

A root canal, build-up filling, and crown is usually the best and most common therapy for a toothache. If a budget plan is needed, these three treatments can be spread out over time.

The tooth can be extracted (removed), which is less costly than a root canal, build-up, and crown, but the tooth will need to be replaced later, which can be more expensive than saving the tooth. However, the extra cost of replacement is deferred until later.

To postpone a root canal for up to about a month, often an inexpensive pulpotomy can be performed where most of the infected nerve is removed, and the pain is stopped temporarily.

And for short-term temporary relief until a root canal or an extraction can be performed, your dentist can prescribe you an antibiotic and a pain pill.