Pulling the tooth is cheaper on the day. Keeping it is almost always cheaper — and better — over the years that follow.
When the nerve of a tooth is infected, there are two ways out of the pain: clean out the infection and keep the tooth (root canal therapy), or remove the tooth altogether (extraction). Patients often lean towards extraction because the number is smaller. It's worth looking at the whole picture before deciding.
What each actually costs
On the Gold Coast, root canal therapy is typically $900–$2,000 depending on the tooth, plus a crown afterwards at $1,500–$2,500 — so saving a molar can total $2,500–$4,500. A simple extraction is $180–$400. But an extraction leaves a gap, and gaps have consequences: the neighbouring teeth drift, the opposing tooth over-erupts, chewing shifts to one side, and the bone under the gap shrinks. Replacing the tooth with an implant ($3,500–$6,500) or a bridge ($3,000–$5,000) usually costs more than saving it would have.
Does a root canal hurt?
This is the fear behind most requests for extraction, and it's out of date. With modern local anaesthetic the procedure feels much like having a filling. The pain people remember is the infection beforehand — the treatment is what ends it. Some tenderness for a few days afterwards is normal and settles with over-the-counter pain relief.
When extraction is the right call
Sometimes a tooth genuinely can't be saved: a crack that runs below the gum, too little tooth left to hold a crown, or bone loss from gum disease. Wisdom teeth are a separate case — they're usually removed rather than treated. We'll tell you honestly which situation you're in, and both procedures are done in-house at Surfers Dental Centre.
Related treatment
Root Canal Therapy