Categories: Tooth Extraction

A General Dentist Explains When Tooth Extraction Is Needed

Although people would like to go through life with healthy teeth, sometimes there is a need for tooth extraction. A general dentist has the tools and experience to save a tooth in many situations, but sometimes removal of a tooth is the only option to prevent other oral or dental issues.

Reasons for tooth extraction

Dentists usually do all they can to fix and preserve a natural tooth. However, there are several situations in which the only choice is to pull a tooth.

Overcrowding

When someone’s jaw is not wide enough, there may be overcrowding once all permanent teeth come in. Overcrowding usually leads to teeth becoming misaligned or sitting at weird angles. Although this may seem like mostly an aesthetic issue, it can result in dental health complications.

Overlapping teeth make it harder to correctly brush and floss, which increases the risk of decay and gum disease. Overcrowding can also lead to impaction. A tooth extraction fixes the problem, and it is also a common procedure before someone gets braces so there is room for the other teeth to straighten correctly.

Damaged tooth

There are many things that can damage a tooth. An accident or some type of trauma can cause a tooth to break, crack, or loosen. Certain health issues, such as diabetes and acid reflux, can damage the teeth over time. Dental decay and gum disease can also cause irreparable harm if the issue is not caught early enough. If damage to a tooth is too severe, the dentist may need to remove it.

Damaged jawbone

Just as injury and infection can damage a tooth, they can also damage the underlying jawbone. With a sports trauma or car collision, jawbone damage may require an emergency tooth extraction. For other issues like decay, an extraction may be the first step for restorative repair.

Impaction

If a tooth is impacted, it is unable to emerge from the gums. There are numerous causes of impaction, including a wrongly positioned tooth, gum cysts, and lingering baby teeth. If a tooth is impacted, it may cause pain and biting issues. Any tooth can be impacted, but the wisdom teeth most commonly have this problem. Although many extractions require just a simple removal of the tooth, extracting a wisdom tooth often requires surgery.

The tooth extraction procedure

If a dentist determines that a tooth needs to be removed, it is usually a fairly simple process. First the area is numbed so the patient does not have any discomfort. The tooth is loosened from the ligament that holds it in place and then extracted with forceps.

If the tooth is impacted, a dental professional may need to make an incision into the gum tissue and may also need to remove some bone surrounding the tooth. Stitches are often applied to help control bleeding and assist in the healing process.

Conclusion

A tooth extraction may be necessary if a tooth has sustained severe damage and cannot be saved. The dentist can discuss all options for the most effective dental care.

Request an appointment here: https://www.thanasasdds.com or call Thanasas Family Dental Care at (248) 260-2878 for an appointment in our Troy office.

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