Situations Where We Recommend Tooth Extraction
While we usually prefer to preserve your teeth, there are some situations where it might be best to remove the tooth. The most common of these are:
- Problematic wisdom teeth
- Badly damaged teeth
- Teeth compromised by gum disease
In all these cases, we will carefully evaluate your tooth or teeth before recommending extraction.
Wisdom Teeth Extractions
Wisdom teeth extractions are relatively common. Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, tend to come in when a person is in their late teens or early 20s. Now, people rarely have enough room for wisdom teeth in their jaws. Not only do we tend to keep our teeth longer, but also our jaws are smaller than our ancestors. Without enough room, wisdom teeth can become impacted—they run into your other teeth. This can lead to a number of problems like:
- Difficulty cleaning teeth
- Cavities and gum disease
- Crooked or crowded teeth
- Cysts or tumors
These problems can lead to damage or even loss of adjacent teeth. In some cases, they can lead to widespread health problems. To prevent this, it’s often recommended that you have your wisdom teeth extracted. We may even recommend extracting them before they emerge.
Damaged Teeth Extractions
Sometimes your tooth might be too badly damaged to restore. This could be due to decay, where a cavity has made a tooth too weak to survive. It might be infected, but not in good enough shape for root canal therapy.
Other times, you might damage your tooth through trauma, such as a sports accident, that badly damages the tooth, including cracking the root. This can usually be prevented with a bite guard, but after the fact, there’s often nothing to do but remove the tooth.
Teeth Compromised by Gum Disease
Gum disease attacks the gums and bones that support the tooth. The tooth’s support might be so badly damaged that it is unlikely to survive and it’s better to remove the tooth to facilitate treatment that will save your other teeth or preserve your health.
Replacing Extracted Teeth
If you have a tooth extracted, we might recommend replacement with a dental restoration. Depending on the health of your jaws and neighboring teeth, we might recommend a dental implant, dental bridge, or partial denture as a replacement tooth.
Do You Need Tooth Extraction?
If you have a tooth that’s damaged, compromised, or likely to cause future problems, Skowronski Family Dentistry can help. Please call (586) 977-8413 today for an appointment at Skowronski Family Dentistry.