If you’ve been dealing with a serious dental issue or severe tooth pain, you may be wondering at what point you need to consider getting a tooth extraction.
You don’t need to make this decision alone! Our team at Seaport Family Dentistry can guide you through your options based on your unique situation. We won’t recommend a tooth extraction unless it is in the best interest of your oral health. After all, it is usually desirable to keep your natural teeth.
All that being said, there are some situations where the likelihood of you needing to get a tooth extracted is higher. Here’s what you need to know:
Severe Decay or Infection
If your tooth has a cavity or infection, there are some treatments we can try to remedy the situation such as placing a dental filling or performing a root canal. If, however, the cavity or infection is so severe that the tooth is beyond repair, a tooth extraction might be best course of action to stop the problem from spreading and causing more pain and damage.
Issues with Wisdom Teeth
Since wisdom teeth are the last teeth to erupt, and they do so much later in life than our other adult teeth, they can often lead to dental issues. For example, there might not be any room left for the wisdom teeth to fit properly, resulting in overcrowding. They can cause damage by running into neighboring teeth and be difficult to keep clean, increasing your risk of decay and gum disease. Another common situation is when the wisdom teeth get stuck under the gums and become impacted, making you more vulnerable to infection. In these cases, extracting the problematic wisdom teeth would benefit your oral health.
Overcrowding
The eruption of wisdom teeth isn’t the only time that overcrowding can occur. Sometimes, a baby tooth never fell out or there is simply not enough room in a patient’s mouth for all of their teeth to align properly. When this happens, teeth can push against each other, causing damage and misalignment.
Consult with Our Team!
Remember, the only way to know for sure if you need to get a tooth pulled is to see an experienced dentist who you can trust. At Seaport Family Dentistry, our knowledgeable team is here to help you with all of your dental needs, tooth extraction or not. Contact our dental office in Liberty today to set up an appointment!
Image from Authority Dental under CC 2.0