When Is Extraction Necessary?
February 16, 2018
A dental extraction is a procedure when your dentist removes a tooth from your mouth. During an extraction, the tooth and its roots will be permanently extracted from the bone that supports them. An extraction of a tooth is always a last resort for your dentist. The procedure is not performed unless it is absolutely necessary to protect your smile and your health. An extraction may become necessary when there are complications with a wisdom tooth, extensive damage or decay, overcrowding, or severe infection. Depending on the specific situation and the location of the problematic tooth, the procedure can be simply done in the dentist’s chair or it can require a more complex surgical procedure.
Can It Be Avoided?
In many cases, an extraction may be avoided with preventative care for your smile. When it comes to extensive decay or severe tooth infection, both can usually be treated to avoid an extraction, if caught early enough. Good oral hygiene keeps most decay at bay. If and when a cavity arises, a filling can stop it from progressing. Advanced tooth decay may require a root canal as the final stop before an extraction becomes necessary. However, wisdom teeth, also referred to as third molars, cannot be prevented and may disrupt your mouth when they erupt. Wisdom teeth can create an infection in the gums, cause overcrowding, or damage your other teeth by coming into the mouth at an odd angle. Accidents or injury can cause such severe damage to a tooth so that it cannot be restored with a root canal treatment or crown.
Extraction to Save the Rest of Your Smile
If your dentist recommends a dental extraction, it is likely a scenario that will not improve on its own. If you postpone the extraction, you could be endangering your health or the health of your other teeth. Ultimately, procrastinating on the treatment could lead to the loss of other teeth.
An Extraction Can Often Be Prevented
A dental extraction is used as a last resort to protect your smile. To learn more, schedule an appointment by calling Cosmetic & Implant Dentistry of Kansas City, MO, today at 816-427-4018.