When you visit your dentist, your goal is to keep your smile healthy and beautiful by preserving your natural tooth structure and oral tissues. Typically, that means receiving regular preventive care, and when necessary, receiving a personalized restoration. Sometimes, however, circumstances can make tooth restoration impossible, and the best way to preserve your smile is to undergo tooth extraction. If it becomes necessary, then ask your dentist how tooth extraction can help you improve your smile and long-term oral health.
Why is extraction necessary?
If your dentist tells you that you need tooth extraction, then your first question may be, why is the procedure necessary? Your dentist will only recommend tooth extraction when necessary, which means:
- You have an impacted wisdom tooth (third molar).
- Your tooth’s root is cracked or broken.
- Your tooth’s crown is too damaged to restore.
- Your tooth has lost the support of surrounding gums and jawbone structure (due to gum disease, for instance).
- You have a tooth that is too infected with decay to save with restorative treatment.
Should I extract my wisdom teeth?
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are frequently extracted due to complications that arise when they become impacted. An impacted wisdom tooth will continue to push against your other teeth, causing severe discomfort and a host of subsequent dental concerns. Extracting an impacted molar is the only way to prevent it from causing more discomfort and problems, and allowing your dentist to successfully restore your smile.
Will I need to replace an extracted tooth?
Even when extracting a tooth is the best option, the loss of the tooth can still affect your bite and oral health (except for wisdom teeth). Before extracting your tooth, your dentist will discuss your options for replacing it immediately afterward to avoid the issues that can arise from a missing tooth.
Find Out if You Need Tooth Extraction
If your tooth hurts, is severely infected, or is impacted, then find out if tooth extraction is your best option. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling the Sunny Smiles dental office nearest you in El Paso, TX, today! We have offices in the East, Northeast, and Westside of El Paso, and happily welcome patients from all nearby communities, including Chaparral, Canutillo, Vinton, and Sunland Park, New Mexico.