Sometimes it’s necessary to pull a tooth. Sometimes it’s not. Many of our patients want to know how we decide when tooth extractions are absolutely necessary at Green Tree Dental so we’ve compiled a list of the most common reasons why a tooth would need to be pulled. As a general rule, we try to avoid pulling teeth, but rather strive to prevent tooth loss and the need for extractions.
What is a tooth extraction?
In short, tooth extraction1 is the removal of a tooth from its socket or alveolus. Extraction procedures can be carried out in different ways and for various reasons, but at Green Tree Dental, we always do a careful assessment of the situation and do everything we can to try to save the tooth. If tooth extraction is absolutely necessary, we choose the extraction method that will be as painless as possible for the patient.
Simple vs. Surgical Tooth Extraction
There are two different types of tooth extraction procedures that we perform at our clinic. Which one is necessary will depend on whether the tooth is fully visible above the gum line or not. When the tooth in question has broken the surface of the gum line and it is fully visible by the dentist, a simple extraction can be performed to extract the tooth with special instruments. However, when the tooth in question has not yet broken the gum line, surgery will be necessary.
Five Reasons Why Teeth May Need to be Extracted
The first set of teeth that children have are called milk teeth and as a general rule, they don’t need to be extracted. The milk teeth fall out on their own before the permanent teeth come in. Permanent teeth are meant to last forever. But, if certain dental problems develop, permanent teeth may need to be extracted.
1. Decay
A tooth may need to be removed if it’s severly decayed. If the decay reaches too far, it can cause an infection. It’s important to treat this so something more serious doesn’t develop. A root canal may be necessary to save the tooth or if the infection spreads to other teeth, an extraction may be the best option.
2. Impaction
Teeth that are erupting in the mouth are sometimes blocked by other teeth. When this happens, we say that the tooth is impacted. Wisdom teeth are the most likely to become impacted because they often don’t erupt until adulthood. Often, the dentist will recommend that impacted wisdom teeth2 be extracted because removing the tooth will diminish the risk of overcrowding and infection. Though it is occasionally possible for wisdom teeth to erupt without causing issues, we usually recommend that these teeth be removed to prevent the development of other dental problems later on.
3. Periodontal Disease
Another common reason why patients have teeth removed is periodontal disease. Periodontal disease is a problem that afflicts the gum tissues and sometimes the periodontal ligaments and alveolar sockets. In the earliest stages of the disease, the gums are swollen and tender and they may bleed easily. The issue of inflamed gums is known as gingivitis.
A specific type of bacteria found in dental plaque (the sticky substance that forms on the teeth after eating when the patient does not brush) is the primary cause of periodontal disease. Many patients can avoid developing periodontal disease by brushing regularly after meals to prevent the build-up of plaque and the bacteria that cause gingivitis.
The most severe kind of periodontal disease involves all of the soft-tissue structures that stabilize the teeth including the gums, alveolar tissues, and periodontal ligaments. When all of these tissues are infected by the bacteria that cause periodontal disease, the teeth may become loose in the mouth. In some instances, tooth extraction may be necessary in order to treat the infection, but at Green Tree Dental, we provide specialized periodontal treatments that can restore health to the gums, ligaments, and alveolar sockets. Patients who receive these preventative treatments are less likely to develop periodontal disease that would necessitate tooth extraction in the future.
If tooth extraction is necessary due to periodontal disease, our goal will be to restore your overall dental health following the procedure and work with you to accomplish aesthetic goals through dental restorations.
4. Overcrowding
Some patients may experience overcrowding or the bunching up of teeth in the mouth when one or more of the teeth is crowding the others. Patients who need orthodontic treatments often need to have one or more teeth removed to make room in the mouth for the other teeth to become aligned. Tooth extractions are necessary if there simply isn’t enough room in the mouth for the teeth to be properly re-aligned, but at Green Tree Dental, we’ll check your teeth for issues regarding overcrowding. We always avoid removing teeth whenever necessary though.
5. Accidental tooth damage
Patients who are in a car accident or who accidentally damage their teeth in some other way may need to have one or more teeth extracted. In the case of an accident, our goal is always to preserve as many teeth as possible. We use dental restorations such as bridges, implants, veneers, dental bonding, or crowns to solve the aesthetic and functional problems that can arise as a result of an accident that damages the teeth.
At Green Tree Dental, we aim to prevent tooth loss by providing treatments that will preserve cracked, broken, or discolored teeth. Crowns are carefully color-matched so that they blend perfectly with your existing teeth. Tooth extractions are only performed if there’s no way to save the tooth.
Pain-Free Tooth Extractions
When there’s no other solution to your dental issue and tooth extraction is absolutely necessary, it can be comforting to know that tooth removal can be performed relatively pain-free. We always begin the procedure with a local anesthetic to ensure that the patient feels only pressure, but no pain during the procedure. And depending on the situation, we offer dental restorations to repair aesthetic issues that can arise as a result of tooth loss.
