Tooth extraction becomes necessary for a number of different reasons. Your tooth may be infected or damaged, or you need your wisdom teeth to be taken out before they cause further problems. How can you tell if your tooth needs to be extracted? Dr. Elizabeth Duling in Owen’s Cross Roads, AL explains.
A Last Resort
In many cases, tooth extraction is considered by dentists only as a last resort. Dr. Duling takes care to make sure she provides the most conservative treatment for your dental problems. She wants to save as much of your natural tooth as possible. However, if conservative methods have failed or she doesn’t believe that they will be effective, that’s when a tooth extraction is recommended.
Reasons for Tooth Extraction
There are many reasons a tooth may be removed. If you’re experiencing severe tooth decay or have a tooth that’s been extensively damaged from trauma, the tooth may need to be removed. Teeth are also extracted when your teeth are overcrowded and causing problems with your day-to-day life.
Sometimes teeth are removed to help treat malocclusion, the clinical name for when your bite lines up abnormally. Malocclusion can lead to many other serious oral health problems, particularly TMJ disorders. An even bite that meets where it’s supposed to helps relieve the pressure on your teeth, reducing the risk of broken or cracked teeth.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth typically arrive in the late teens or early twenties, hence their nickname. It’s more likely than not that you will need to have your wisdom teeth removed at some point. Very few people are able to retain their wisdom teeth throughout their lifetime without any dental issues. Wisdom teeth frequently cause pain, overcrowding in the teeth, and can be more likely to suffer from tooth decay as they’re harder to reach.
Wisdom teeth can also become impacted in your jaw, meaning they are coming in at an odd angle and are stuck mostly under the gums, causing problems with your other teeth. Wisdom teeth are commonly removed all at one time through a surgical procedure. You’ll be sedated and the wisdom teeth will be removed before they cause too many problems.
The Extraction Process
For a simple tooth extraction, you’ll first receive local anesthetic around the tooth that’s being removed. If you suffer from dental fear, Dr. Duling offers sedation dentistry options to help ensure you’re as calm and comfortable as possible throughout the process.
When you’re numb, the ligaments that connect the tooth to your bone will be carefully severed. Then, the tooth is gently rocked back and forth in the socket to help loosen it. When the tooth is out, the entire area will be cleaned and packed with gauze to aid recovery. This helps a blood clot to form in the socket and also helps to prevent infiltration by food particles and other hazards. You’ll receive aftercare instructions from your dentist to make sure it heals well.
Tooth Extraction in Owen’s Cross Roads, AL
Have a tooth that may need to be removed? Call 256.202.4186 or schedule an appointment online for a consultation with Dr. Duling.