6 Important Reasons You May Need a Tooth Extraction

It’s never fun hearing that you need to have a tooth extracted. But the good news is if you get this recommendation from your periodontist, you can rest assured that it’s absolutely necessary. Periodontists are here to protect your smile, and that means ensuring that you keep your natural teeth for as long as possible. Unfortunately, sometimes teeth become too damaged to save, and must be extracted. This is not only to help prevent the damaged tooth from getting worse, but it is often also necessary to protect nearby teeth and gums.

Here are a few reasons why your periodontist may be recommending extraction, and how you can restore your smile once your tooth is removed!

Tooth Decay

Tooth decay is one of the most common reasons for extraction. If you have a bad cavity that is too big to be repaired with a crown or filling, the next best way to protect your smile is to remove the tooth and replace it with a prosthetic.

Infection

Root canal procedures are the best way to protect an infected tooth. Unfortunately, however, sometimes the infection is too severe, and the tooth cannot be saved. In these instances, your periodontist will likely recommend extracting it. This is extremely important, because tooth infections can easily spread to other teeth, and throughout the head, neck and body. If left untreated, they can even be fatal. Thus, if an extraction is suggested, take the matter very seriously.

Gum Disease

Gum disease may be an infection of the gums, but with time it can compromise not just the gum tissue, but also the bone surrounding your teeth. Thus, to protect your smile, removing teeth that are loosened by gum disease may be unavoidable to protect your jawbone and gums. You may require a bone graft procedure after your extraction site has healed, and once your bone density has improved, you can then discuss tooth replacement options.

Impaction

Impacted wisdom teeth can be very painful and very dangerous to your other teeth. Because they sometimes grow sideways, they can push on nearby teeth, causing them to break underneath the surface of the gums. Thus, your periodontist may recommend removing them before they have a chance to cause any further damage. Thankfully, they aren’t necessary teeth, so you won’t need to worry about replacing them!

Trauma

Tooth injuries from accidents or injuries can sometimes be repaired with a filling, crown, or dental bonding. But in some cases, they may be too damaged to repair and must instead be extracted. If this happens, your periodontist can help you choose an appropriate restoration method as soon as you have healed, but it’s important that you recover first.

Overcrowding

Finally, some patients may need to have one or more back molars extracted if they are causing crowding in the mouth. Crowding can make your front teeth crooked and create hard-to-clean spaces between them. This can harm your oral health and hygiene, but it also can take a negative toll on your self-esteem. These teeth will also not need to be replaced, and you’ll likely be very pleased with the results they facilitate after your orthodontic treatment is complete!

Replacing Lost Teeth

Once your tooth is extracted, in certain circumstances you may want to replace them. Your periodontist offers an amazing solution for this: dental implants. The only permanent tooth restoration available, these prosthetics look and feel just like your real teeth, and work just like them, too! They can even prevent future tooth loss due to jawbone deterioration and tooth drifting, and unlike other methods, they’ll never need to be replaced. To learn more about dental implants, speak to your periodontist today.

Remember, if your dentist has recommended a tooth extraction, it may not be the news you want to hear, but you can rest assured that it is in the best interest of your smile and only done for very good reasons.

About Dr. Ross

Dr. Jonathan Ross earned his dental degree from the Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and his periodontal specialty training and Master of Health Sciences degree from the Medical University of South Carolina. He is board certified with the American Board of Periodontology and places a heavy emphasis on continuing education as a member of the prestigious Seattle Study Club, the Cleveland Academy of Advanced Dental Education, and is a regular attendee of the Southern Academy of Periodontology and American Academy of Periodontology’s annual meetings. He’s also an active member of the American Dental Association and Ohio Dental Association and takes more than 50 hours of dentistry classes each year!

To schedule a consultation for a tooth extraction, please visit our website or call us today at 440-461-6008.