Treating certain oral health concerns is much more effective when your treatment plan is custom-designed to specifically meet your needs. However, for some extreme oral health concerns, the only viable option is to extract a tooth that can no longer support your bite the way it’s meant to. Today, we examine how your dentist or oral health specialist may determine if tooth extraction is necessary, and why it’s the best option for avoiding further oral health complications.
Is the tooth that badly damaged?
Damaged tooth structure isn’t like damage to any other part of your body. Unlike other tissues and cells, your tooth structure doesn’t heal, which means the problem will continue to get worse. Custom restorative dental treatments can often help avoid this, but in severe cases, the damage may be so severe that it can’t be successfully restored, and the tooth can become a threat to the rest of your oral health. To determine if extraction is the right course of action, your dentist will thoroughly examine the tooth and your oral health to see if it can be restored.
Has decay ravished most of the tooth?
Tooth decay is another problem that grows worse over time, and in many cases, it can progress faster than structural damage to your tooth. That’s because tooth decay is an infection in the structure, and the oral bacteria that cause it will continue eroding this structure the longer it’s left untreated. Severe cases of tooth decay can compromise most or all the tooth’s natural structure, and even root canal therapy may not be enough to restore and save the tooth. If this is the case, then your dentist may suggest extracting the remaining tooth structure to remove the threat of the infection becoming more severe.
Are your wisdom teeth impacted?
Impacted wisdom teeth can become a severe problem for your oral health when they aren’t addressed. Known as third molars, your wisdom teeth can become impacted if there isn’t enough space at the end of your dental ridges to accommodate them. When this occurs, the pressure that they can place on your other teeth can cause serious damage to their health and integrity, as well as severe, chronic discomfort. Extracting an impacted wisdom tooth is the only way to alleviate this discomfort and stop the damage to the rest of your teeth.
Learn if you should have a tooth extracted
Deciding to extract a tooth isn’t an easy decision, but it can be the best choice for restoring your smile under certain circumstances. To learn more, schedule an appointment or initial consultation by calling Advanced Dental Concepts in Auburn Hills, MI, today at (248) 852-1820.
