The only other option if you do not want to go for the root canal treatment is to have the whole tooth extracted/removed. However it is always best to try and save the natural tooth. Root canal treatment is a routine procedure and has a very high success rate (over 95%). Saving the natural tooth can prevent other dental problems later on like migration of the teeth in the empty space, supra eruption of the tooth from the opposite arch, difficulty in eating, bone loss and replacement of the missing tooth.