When Should I Consider a Tooth Extraction?

The Academy of General Dentistry stresses that people should do everything they can to keep their teeth for a lifetime. Natural teeth retain jaw bone density and size, normalize speech and eating, keep teeth from drifting and of course, maintain youthful facial appearance and structure. Furthermore, with advances in modern general dentistry and access to quality care, this goal is easier to Accident keep now that it was for previous generations.

Yet, Julie Forte DDS, and her dental colleagues realize that circumstances sometimes warrant tooth extraction. With need confirmed on visual inspection, patient symptoms and x-rays, the dentist performs most extractions right in the dental office with benefit of local anesthesia, nitrous oxide (laughing gas), oral conscious or IV sedation medications.

Reasons for considering tooth extraction

Oral health, with its significant impact on systemic health, may warrant a tooth extraction. A tooth may be too compromised to save because of:

  • Periodontal Disease (advanced gum disease) which has deteriorated gums and jaw bone to the point where teeth are loose. While root scaling, gum treatment with antibiotics and even tooth splinting can spare and strengthen loose teeth, sometimes the disease process is too advanced, and the patient loses teeth.
  • Tooth Abscess or infection of the inner pulp. Decay which progresses from tooth enamel to inner dentin and finally to the blood supply, nerves and connective tissue of the pulp can destroy a tooth's root structure. Deep decay often advances to the bone, necessitating an extraction.
  • Accident (fracture or evulsion). Teeth that are knocked out can be re-implanted, but there is a small window of time in which this succeeds. After that, the re-implanted tooth likely will fail and need to be removed. In addition, a severely fractured tooth may not survive repair and need extraction.
  • Impaction Wisdom teeth, the back molars which typically erupt between the ages of 17 and 25, often compromise the function and integrity of their neighbors. Also, an impacted wisdom tooth, or a tooth that stays fully below the gum line, can push on the roots of other teeth, causing pain, swelling, bleeding gums, bad breath and even jaw joint issues. When symptoms develop, the individual should get to the dentist.

Sometimes, healthy teeth should be removed to improve orthodontic treatment. Some individuals simply have teeth that are too large for the size of their jaws, and teeth become crowded and overlap. Baby teeth can stay in mouth of a teenager, impeding the eruption of adult teeth. With these situations, your Berkley, MI family dentist may recommend extraction.

Julie Forte DDS

From preventive to restorative to cosmetic dental services, Dr. Julie Forte and her staff have your optimal oral and overall well being in mind. If you are experiencing problems with a tooth, see Dr. Forte right away for accurate diagnosis and treatment of the problem. Call (248) 546-2030 for a consultation.

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