27 Apr 2018 When Should Teeth Be Pulled?
Ever since your first tooth came in when you were a toddler, your teeth have been moving and developing depending on how well you have been taking care of them. When insufficient oral care is given, tooth decay becomes present in the mouth. When this happens, it is possible for irreversible damage or infection to occur which would lead to only one option, extraction. Dentists often try to avoid extracting the biological tooth, but sometimes it can be the only option. Even if they are, bridges and other smile restoration tools can help improve your smile after extraction. So, here are a few circumstances when pulling the tooth could be the best option for you.
- The most common reason a tooth needs to be extracted is because too much damage has occurred to salvage the original tooth. This can come for many reasons but is most likely related to poor or negligent oral care. Other causes of severe damage are coffee, tobacco, and excess sugar. When irreversible damage or decay occur to a tooth, severe pain is likely to occur and extraction is the only remedy.
- Another common reason why extraction is necessary is because the mouth is too crowded for the dentist to make necessary adjustments. If the mouth is too crowded, patients could experience jaw tightness and pain when they chew. The removal of certain teeth can allow the necessary space for a healthy realignment.
- Infection is one of the most definite signs that a tooth needs to be removed. If a tooth has badly decayed or has a significant infection, it will extend right to the pulp (the center of the tooth that contains blood vessels and nerves). When this happens, bacteria enter the pulp and serious infection may develop. This can cause severe pain that will not go away until the infection is cleared or the tooth is pulled. Antibiotics may be administered, but if the infection worsens then extraction will necessary. In some cases, the infection is not spotted or properly treated until it has affected the pulp of the tooth to such a degree that the tooth its self needs to be removed.
Tooth extraction is never anyone’s first choice, but it is often the best choice. It comes down to if you are willing to pay the money and deal with the pain of salvaging a biological tooth. Now days, the technology behind cosmetic dentistry is so advanced that even if you had to lose the original tooth, your smile could be restored and even improved. If you have questions about if a tooth should be pulled or not, please get in contact with us so that we can help you get your tooth feeling better as soon as we can.