Categories: Restorative Dentistry

Are You Worried About A Tooth Extraction?

Invasive dental procedures, such as removals, may cause worry for some patients. In most cases, removing one of your pearly whites is only recommended if it has been severely harmed or has the potential to harm the surrounding structures. If this is deemed necessary, your Elm Creek Dental team can help guide you through the process. This procedure may be done if your smile has become overcrowded or when a wisdom tooth begins to develop.

When Your Tooth Has Extreme Damage

One of your dentist’s main priority is to keep your smile in good health. Preventive dental care can keep your teeth cavity-free. However, not all problems can be prevented with proper oral hygiene. If one of your pearly whites has been harmed in an accident, it is important to have the area looked at as soon as possible. In some cases, a broken tooth can be repaired with a dental crown. However, if the fracture is too severe or has become infected, it may be best to remove the structure before other teeth are harmed.

An infection or abscess may be another reason for removal. If you have left a cavity untreated, the decay can continue to deteriorate the area and enter the pulp. A root canal may be able to restore the area unless the pulp has extreme damage. At this point, extraction may be necessary.

Removing Wisdom Teeth

Our third molars, also known as our wisdom teeth, can grow around our teenage years. In some cases, they may not be noticeable or cause issues. However, it is common for them to become impacted and not grow fully past the gum line. When this happens, they can disrupt other teeth or cause discomfort when chewing. Before they are able to cause severe damage, your dentist may decide to remove them.

Replacing A Visibly Lost Tooth

Wisdom teeth are not essential to the function of your smile, so there is no need to replace them after they have been removed. However, if you have lost a front tooth or a structure that is needed for the function of your oral cavity, it will need to be replaced. This can be achieved with prosthetics such as bridges, dentures, or implants depending on your needs and the severity of bone loss. Bridges can replace several missing teeth in a row, whereas dentures can help treat loss that has occurred in different areas of your smile. Implants may be used to replace a missing tooth and the root that has been lost.