Sometimes, despite your dentist’s best efforts, a tooth extraction is necessary. At our health-centered dental practice in Sandy Springs, GA, Dr. Brenda Paulen always ensures that your smile is treated conservatively and effectively. Keep reading to find out how you can tell if your tooth needs to be removed.
In many cases, tooth extraction is a last resort, as Dr. Paulen strives to save as much of your natural tooth as possible. If conservative methods have failed or we don’t believe that they’re feasible, that’s when a tooth extraction is recommended.
Reasons for Tooth Extraction
Teeth may need to be taken out for a few reasons. If you have severe tooth decay, a tooth injury, or overcrowded teeth, you may need to have one or more teeth removed. If your teeth are causing problems with your daily life, such as severe pain, and no other treatments are expected to succeed, extraction may be the best option.
Sometimes teeth are removed to help treat malocclusion, which is when your upper and lower jaw line up abnormally. Malocclusion can be the cause of many oral health problems, particularly TMJ disorders. An even bite that meets where it’s supposed to help to even out the pressure on your teeth when they close together. This lessens the chance of broken or cracked teeth.
Wisdom Teeth Extraction
Not everyone has problems with their wisdom teeth, but it is very uncommon to keep them without any issues. Some patients need all of them removed, and others only need two wisdom teeth extracted. The reason your dentist would suggest wisdom teeth removal is if they are causing pain, overcrowding, or they become impacted.
Wisdom teeth can become impacted, which means that they do not completely break through the jaw. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain, problems with the surrounding teeth, and tooth decay, which can lead to an underlying abscess. Getting annual X-rays will help your dentist determine how your wisdom teeth are growing and whether they predict future problems. In some cases, dentists recommend extraction before they have a chance to get infected.
Tooth Extraction Procedure
For a simple tooth extraction, you’ll first receive local anesthetic around the tooth that’s being removed. If you suffer from dental fear, we offer sedation dentistry options to make sure you’re calm and comfortable throughout the process.
When you’re numb, the ligaments that connect the tooth to your bone will be slowly severed. The tooth is gently rocked back and forth in the socket to remove the actual tooth. When the tooth is out, the entire area will be cleaned and packed with gauze. This helps a blood clot to form in the cavity and also helps to keep out food particles. You’ll receive aftercare instructions to make sure it heals well.
Contact our Sandy Springs, GA dental office online or call us at (404) 418-7734 to consult about your smile. We offer several affordable treatment options in a compassionate, professional setting.