Tooth extraction is a type of oral surgery that is only needed in unusual circumstances. Regular care and professional cleanings by a good dentist can help you avoid most severe dental problems that would require extraction. In addition, solutions such as root canals and dental crowns can save most damaged teeth. However, some injuries and issues make tooth extraction unavoidable. If you experience any of the following problems, your dentist may recommend tooth extraction.
Tooth pain can occur for a variety of reasons, from sensitive teeth to tooth rot. Many sources of tooth pain can be treated without needing to remove the tooth. Tooth pain caused by a cavity, for example, can often be repaired with a filling or root canal that saves the tooth. If, however, you still experience tooth pain after a filling or dental crown procedure, the only other option may be tooth extraction. In other cases, the original tooth may be too severely damaged to salvage.
Wisdom teeth are the most commonly extracted teeth. Your dentist may recommend wisdom tooth extraction if you are experiencing pain or the growth of your wisdom teeth is causing misplacement among your other teeth. If a wisdom tooth becomes impacted, this is also a common reason for a dentist to recommend wisdom tooth extraction. An impacted tooth means that it is growing in the wrong way and is someplace that it shouldn’t be, creating a risk of nerve damage. In this case, wisdom tooth extraction might be the best remedy.
Misplaced teeth, such as overcrowding, is also a reason to have one or more teeth extracted. Your teeth might become misplaced or overcrowded if there are too many teeth coming in at the same time without enough space on your jaw for them to all fit together correctly. In this case, there is a good chance that the best solution will be a tooth extraction. Extraction can correct the physical appearance of an overcrowded mouth, as well as resolve problems related to misplaced teeth arrangements.
If your dentist diagnoses you with periodontal disease (gum disease), you may need oral surgery to have the tooth extracted. Gum disease is an infection that can worsen without treatment. Severe gum disease can cause significant issues with the surrounding teeth, nearby tissues and structures that ultimately require the removal of the tooth.
When diagnosed in its early stages, gum disease can be treated and reversed, in most cases. If gum disease progresses to a severe stage, however, one or more teeth may need to be extracted. This is because gum disease can lead to tooth decay and damage to the underlying ligaments and bone. Tooth extraction may be the only choice if the periodontal disease has decayed the tooth past the point of saving.
Other types of tooth decay not caused by gum disease can also lead to your dentist recommending tooth extraction. Decay from poor dental hygiene, for example, can lead to an infection in the tooth’s pulp that irrevocably damages the tooth and gums. For an advanced infection, there may be no other choice except to have one or more teeth removed. In other cases, your dentist may recommend tooth extraction as a preventive measure against the possibility of infection – especially if you have a weakened immune system.
Having a tooth extracted is an important decision. If your dentist recommends the removal of one or multiple teeth, it means you have a dental problem that has progressed past the point of saving the tooth. Luckily, there are follow-up remedies for tooth extraction that can preserve your smile, such as dental implants. Contact the dental professionals at Dental on Central for more information about tooth extraction.
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