Under What Circumstances Does a Tooth Need to Be Removed?
No one wants to hear that they need to have a tooth removed. Dentists have the job of protecting and saving your teeth, but unfortunately, sometimes a tooth extraction is necessary.
How can you know if a tooth needs to be removed? There’s not one answer for everyone. Tooth extractions are evaluated on a case-by-case basis with your professional dentist in Asheville.
If your tooth can be saved, your dentist will do everything they can to save it, including dental bonding, a root canal procedure, or by putting a crown on the tooth. However, under what such circumstances might a tooth need to be removed?
Tooth Decay That’s Too Deep for a Root Canal
When tooth decay is present, those regular dentist visits are going to help catch the cavity before it has a chance to completely destroy your tooth. For most people, tooth decay won’t cause any symptoms until it’s progressed to the point that the cavity is very large.
Even if tooth decay has compromised the tooth, it may still be possible for your dentist to conduct root canal therapy on the tooth and put a crown over the remaining structure of the tooth to protect it. However, in some cases, the decay is so extensive and so deep that a root canal won’t help.
If your tooth is past the point of being saved by a root canal, your dentist may recommend extraction as the next step.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth Are Causing Problems
Wisdom teeth, or your third molars that come in your late teens or early adult years, don’t cause issues for some people. For others, their wisdom teeth are impacted and may require extraction.
What is an impacted wisdom tooth? Impacted wisdom teeth don’t erupt fully through the gumline, meaning they essentially get trapped in your jaw. There are several reasons this happens wisdom teeth may not have room to come in all the way due to overcrowding in the mouth. The tooth may be coming in sideways and push against the neighboring teeth, therefore requiring extraction.
Impacted wisdom teeth can cause damage to adjacent teeth, discomfort, and other complications with your smile. Wisdom teeth that are impacted are more common in the lower jaw.
If your wisdom teeth are impacted, your dentist will recommend they be removed to prevent further discomfort and damage.
Gum Disease Has Taken Its Toll
Gum disease, or periodontal disease, is unfortunately very common. The early stages of gum disease will be more noticeable than the early stages of tooth decay for most people including red, swollen, or tender gum tissue.
Many people don’t realize just how much gum disease can impact their smile, especially if left to progress. As gum disease gets worse, it not only becomes harder to reverse, but has the potential to cause tooth loss.
Even if your gum disease hasn’t caused tooth loss yet, the connective tissue that helps to anchor your teeth in place might be so damaged by the bacteria and infection of gum disease that the only option your dentist in Asheville has is to pull the tooth.
Gum disease can affect people of all ages but is more common in older adults. Remember, it’s completely preventable with the right home care habits and regular trips to the dentist!
Your Teeth Are Crowded
If your mouth is small and your teeth are big (which is usually the result of genetics), you may not have enough room for all your teeth. An orthodontist may recommend that some of the teeth be removed prior to orthodontic treatment and to ensure enough space for every tooth in your mouth.
While misaligned and crowded teeth are obvious in some smiles, they aren’t in others. Your dentist in Asheville can evaluate your smile and refer you to an orthodontist to determine if your crowded teeth actually need professional treatment or a tooth extraction to remedy.
You’ve Been in an Accident
Your dentist will do everything they can to prevent the need for a tooth extraction if you’ve had an accident. However, there are times when an injury to a tooth is so severe that your dentist in Asheville unfortunately has no other option besides to extract the tooth.
Cases such as these may include when the tooth has been broken off to a point where it can’t be saved or a severely fractured tooth. Some dental emergencies can be prevented such as sports injuries when you should be wearing a mouthguard or getting regular checkups to ensure your teeth are strong and healthy!
A Baby Tooth Won’t Come Out
If your child has a baby tooth that just won’t come out and is impeding the progress of the adult teeth, your dentist may suggest an extraction.
For most children, the primary teeth will fall out before the adult teeth come in. However, for other children, the tooth won’t fall out and instead will affect the eruption of the permanent tooth coming in behind it this is commonly referred to as an over-retained baby tooth.
Baby teeth help guide permanent teeth into place, so when a baby tooth isn’t lost, it can ultimately lead to crooked teeth in some cases. While not every child who has an over-retained tooth will need an extraction, some children will to prevent future problems with their smile.
Options to Replace Missing Teeth
If you need to get a tooth extracted, don’t worry about having a missing tooth. Saunders DDS offers numerous options for you to restore your smile and fill in the gap left by a pulled tooth.
We offer dental bridges, dental implants, and full and partial dentures for patients who need to restore a missing tooth, so you won’t have to live with a compromised smile!
Tooth Extraction with Your Asheville Dentist
The only way to know for sure if your tooth needs to be extracted is to get a professional opinion from your dentist in Asheville. Are you having symptoms of gum disease, a tooth infection, or an injury to your smile? We offer emergency dental visits in addition to our regular appointments, so contact us today by requesting an appointment here or calling us at (828) 277-6060.
To determine if you need tooth extraction services, schedule a straightforward dental exam at Saunders DDS. Contact us at (828) 277-6060.