A crown, or even a root canal, could be used to help address serious oral health concerns and to rebuild your tooth. However, what if a situation arises that is too advanced to be treated with these restorative treatments? To prevent the spread of infection or further tooth loss, your Houston, TX, dentist may recommend a tooth extraction.
The Reasons We Prescribe Extraction
When do we suggest a tooth be removed completely? If a cavity or infection is too severe to be addressed with a filling or crown, then the tooth may need removal to prevent the spread of infection. If a tooth is severely damaged, taking it out could also prevent major complications. If you’re undergoing orthodontic treatment, a tooth could be extracted to help make room to reposition the smile. We also recommend this option for teeth loosened by advanced gum disease.
The most common reason is to prevent the complications of wisdom tooth eruption. These are up to four new molars that arrive in the rear of your smile in your late teens and early 20s. Unless addressed, this could lead to an impaction, or partial eruption, that causes discomfort. These new teeth could also cause dental misalignment, damaged teeth, infection, and more.
Taking Out a Tooth
The procedure itself only takes about 30 minutes. To start, we will administer a local numbing agent to help you feel comfortable. We could also offer sedation, so you enter a calm and relaxed state with no memory of the procedure. We then open the gums above your wisdom teeth to access them, although this step isn’t necessary for infected or damaged teeth. The teeth in question will be extracted with a pair of forceps. We then suture the site closed and provide medication to facilitate a faster healing process. We also have aftercare instructions to help protect your smile for the first day or two until we remove the futures.
What About Tooth Replacement?
While wisdom teeth don’t require replacement, losing teeth for other areas could leave behind a gap, a gap in your smile could mean misalignment and complications for how you eat, speak, or smile. Fortunately, we can also discuss replacement options with bridges and partial dentures. We also have dental implants, which look and act like natural teeth. We could even sue them to support your bridge or denture! If you have any questions about how we remove your natural teeth or what happens next, then contact our team today.
TALK TO MMC DENTAL ABOUT TOOTH EXTRACTION
If you have a tooth that is severely damaged, aching, or could compromise your smile, we may suggest removal. For more information on our oral surgical procedures, then contact your Houston, TX, dentist, Dr. Chan, by calling 713-926-8896.