Natural teeth are very important for chewing, biting and maintaining jawbone structure and are meant to last a lifetime. Therefore, your dentist will do everything he or she can before deciding to extract and natural teeth. There are several reasons your dentist may result to extracting a tooth.

Reasons for tooth extraction

Crowding of the teeth sometimes leads your dentist to pull a tooth or two to make room for the other ones. It’s usually done before orthodontic work in order to be able to align the teeth properly.

Infection may result in tooth extraction if the damage or decay extends to the center of the tooth where the nerves and blood vessels are. Bacteria can enter this area and cause an infection. Often times dentists can correct this with a root canal but if the infection is too severe they will have to extract it.

Risk of infection can cause your dentist to extract your tooth. This is usually only if your immune system is compromised by treatments like chemotherapy or organ transplant treatments. If the risk of infection is too high, the dentist will decide to pull the tooth.

Periodontal Gum Disease can sometimes cause loosening of the teeth. This is because it is an infection of the tissues and the bone that supports the tooth. If this happens a tooth extraction may be required.

What to expect during your tooth extraction appointment

Your dentist will inject your surrounding gum with a local anesthetic to numb the area before extracting the tooth. This will make sure you don’t experience any pain during the procedure. They will then pull the tooth and pack the socket with gauze to stop the bleeding. Stitches are sometimes required.

If you believe you may need a tooth extracted, schedule a consultation with one of our dentists here.