As disconcerting as the idea of having a tooth pulled may be for some, there are times when it’s a simple fact of life that matters dictate that a tooth must be extracted.
Aiken / Augusta Oral & Facial Surgery
WHY MIGHT A PERSON REQUIRE A TOOTH EXTRACTION?
Perhaps, repairing a damaged tooth is not practical.
- Broken, cracked, or extensively decayed teeth.
- Teeth that are unsuitable candidates for root canal treatment.
- Teeth associated with advanced periodontal disease (gum disease).
- Preparation for orthodontic treatment (braces)
- Malpositioned or nonfunctional teeth.
Non-functional teeth are often extracted. Some teeth might be extracted because they provide very little service but do offer risk for becoming problematic. A common example is a wisdom tooth that has come in but has no matching tooth to bite against. Wisdom teeth are typically in a region of the mouth that is hard to clean, thus placing them and their neighboring tooth at greater risk for decay and periodontal disease.
Depending on the precise circumstances that they find, a dentist may advise their patient that removing a nonfunctional tooth might be in that patient’s best long-term interest in regards to maintaining good oral health. When a tooth is removed its neighboring teeth will tend to shift, sometimes significantly. Any alignment changes that do occur can have a major impact on your dental health. Removing even a single tooth can lead to problems associated with chewing ability or jaw joint function.
Additionally, teeth whose alignment has changed can become traps for food or be harder to clean thoroughly, thus placing them at greater risk for tooth decay and gum disease. So to avoid these types of complications, in most cases, we will probably recommend to you that you replace any tooth that has been extracted. Replacing a tooth (Dental implants) after an extraction with an artificial one may be the best way to maintain an attractive smile or even allow your jaw to function properly.