Does Your Tooth Really Need to Be Extracted?
At Cardinal Dental, preserving a patient’s natural teeth is always our top priority. Often, we can save natural teeth with a combination of root canal therapy and a dental crown designed to strengthen and protect the natural tooth’s structure.
Unfortunately, however, a natural tooth simply cannot be saved, and in these cases, tooth extraction is necessary to prevent more serious health problems, like severe infections and abscesses, from occurring.
5 Reasons Why Tooth Extraction Might Be Necessary
1. Impaction
Molars, especially wisdom teeth, commonly cause problems for patients when they erupt in a horizontal direction rather than pushing themselves up through the gums. As a result, they grow toward the neighboring teeth, putting pressure on them. To avoid damaging neighboring teeth and frequent tooth infections, impacted teeth typically need to be extracted.
2. Tooth Decay
Our goal is always to catch tooth decay before it causes irreversible damage to a tooth. Sometimes, however, teeth can become severely decayed whether you have an old amalgam filling that is broken or simply haven’t been to the dentist in a while. Severe decay that is too advanced for treatment with a root canal procedure can lead to the need for a tooth extraction.
3. Periodontal Disease
Severe periodontal disease (gum disease) can lead to the deterioration of the periodontal ligaments and jawbone that hold the teeth securely in place. Teeth that are loose as a result of periodontal disease might need to be extracted.
4. Injury
Teeth sometimes need to be extracted in the event an injury or trauma damages them beyond repair.
5. Overcrowding
If a patient does not have enough room in their mouth for all of their teeth, they can become overcrowded which can cause painful problems with bite and also increase the risk of tooth decay. In these cases, teeth might need to be extracted to make room.
Restorative Dentistry at Cardinal Dental in La Mesa
At Cardinal Dental, we do everything we can to help our patients preserve their natural teeth. Tooth extraction, however, can sometimes still be necessary. When this is the case, we provide a variety of tooth replacement treatments options such as dental implants and dental bridges, and our dentist can help you determine the option that works best for you.
To learn more about restorative dentistry and tooth extraction or to schedule a consultation, we welcome you to contact Cardinal Dental today.
