Illustration of special dental tools extracting a tooth

When Is a Tooth Extraction Necessary?

May 25, 2022 1:21 am
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At Wedington Family Dental, we prioritize protecting and preserving our patients’ natural teeth when it is in the patient’s best interest. However, a dental extraction may become necessary if a natural tooth is damaged beyond repair or otherwise puts your oral health at risk. Here are some examples of situations when our team may recommend a tooth extraction:

  1. Advanced Tooth Decay & Infection

    2. As the oral bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar, they produce acid. Over time, this acid wears away your tooth enamel. A diet high in sugar combined with poor oral hygiene can lead to cavities and tooth infection. If a tooth becomes severely infected and its structure is compromised beyond repair, a dental extraction may be necessary. Otherwise, it reduces your oral function and risks spreading infection to other parts of your body.

  2. Impaction

    3. Wisdom teeth, as well as other teeth, can be impacted. This means the tooth is stuck in the jawbone or gum tissue, usually because there’s not enough room for it or it grew in misaligned. Impaction can result in the tooth pushing against neighboring teeth, an increased risk for tooth infection, significant pain, and swelling. A dental extraction can prevent and remedy this issue.

  3. Trauma

    4. Trauma and excessive force can damage your teeth, whether you take a hockey puck or baseball to the mouth, grind your teeth, bite down wrong on a hard nut, or are involved in a car crash. Sometimes the damage can be fixed with a filling or a dental crown, and other times a dental extraction and tooth replacement may be the right choice.

  4. Gum Disease

    5. Gum disease is the number one cause of tooth loss in adults. Advanced stages of gum disease cause the oral tissue to weaken and pull away from the teeth. Eventually, they no longer support the tooth. Extraction may be required if the tooth is no longer anchored into the jawbone.

Consult with Our Team!

Our team can determine if you need a tooth extraction or if you’d benefit from a different treatment. Please contact us today to schedule an appointment at Wedington Family Dental.

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Tooth extraction image from Authority Dental under CC 2.0