When you take excellent care of your oral health, it can feel good to hear your dentist say so, and even better to know that you’ve successfully protected your healthy, natural smile for now. However, when your dentist tells you that you need to extract a tooth, the opposite may be true, and some patients can take the news as though they’ve failed in some way. While the need for tooth extraction can often be avoided with proper care and maintenance, we can still help you preserve your smile by customizing your treatment plan at our Auburn Hills, MI, dental office.
It can happen to almost anyone
The most important thing to keep in mind about tooth extraction is that the need for it can become a risk to nearly anyone, depending on the state of their oral health. There are many different reasons for needing tooth extraction, from severe damage or decay to wisdom tooth impaction, and more. Because of this, taking excellent care of your oral health with good hygiene practices and regular visits to your dentist is the best way to reduce your risks of needing tooth extraction at some point in the future.
You still have time to save your smile
If you do need tooth extraction already, the good news is that it means you still have time to eliminate the threat and preserve your smile. If your tooth still remains, then extracting the tooth will stop it from causing collateral damage to nearby teeth and/or oral tissues and structures. If your tooth is severely decayed, then extraction may stop it from becoming a much more serious oral health condition. However, tooth extraction is typically recommended only in severe cases, where no other option will work to save your smile. This means your window of time for minimizing the extent of your treatment depends on seeking treatment as soon as possible.
You can replace the tooth after it’s gone
Even if you do need tooth extraction, the goal of your treatment is still to help you preserve your healthy, natural smile as well as possible. In many cases, that means that your treatment should also include placing a custom-designed replacement as soon as possible after your tooth is extracted. While removing the tooth will eliminate the threat it poses, your custom-made restoration will reestablish its ability to function properly and improve your long-term oral health.
Learn more about tooth extraction
Needing tooth extraction isn’t something you should feel bad about, but you should act quickly to save your smile from further complications. To learn more, schedule an appointment or initial consultation by calling Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI, today at (248) 852-1820.
