Alternatives to root canal treatment include no treatment, tooth extraction, or the 3Mix-MP procedure. After a tooth is extracted, it can include a prosthetic replacement such as a dental implant(s), a fixed partial denture (referred to as a “bridge”), or a removable denture.[13] There are risks of not doing any treatment such as pain, infection, and the possibility of worsening of the dental infection and it will not be restoreable (root canal treatment will not be successful, often due to the loss of a large amount of tooth structure). If a large amount of tooth structure is missing, extraction may be the only treatment option.
In December 2010, a study was published demonstrating a novel alternative to root canal therapy in the treatment of infected pulps, the 3Mix-MP procedure, by applying a topical antibacterial mixture.[14] While previous studies have failed similar experiments, this study succeeded through the use of a unique medium for antibiotics, propylene glycol, which has been shown to successfully penetrate and spread through dentinal tubules.[15] This discovery is important because it offers an alternative to root canal treatment other than tooth extraction.
