Not every reason for tooth extraction is preventable, and when it is, the condition often progresses well before the person realizes that they’re tooth is in such trouble. However, once tooth extraction does become necessary, there are few or no options left for protecting the rest of your smile. At our Santa Rosa, CA, oral surgery office, we only recommend extracting a tooth in situations when complex damage or infection, or an impacted position, has left us with no other option for restoring it.
Why the tooth has to go
In cases when a tooth can be saved, restoring it serves several different purposes. The procedure removes any infection in the tooth, if applicable, and restores any damage that the tooth’s healthy, natural structure has sustained. This not only saves the tooth, but allows it to continue functioning properly without placing an unnecessary burden on other teeth, or threatening surrounding oral tissues with infection or damage. If the tooth is too infected or damaged to accomplish all of these purposes, then extracting it may be the best option for the rest of your smile.
Why it got so bad
The need for tooth extraction is an extreme case for most common dental health issues. For example, an infected tooth can often be treated conservatively in its earliest stages. Your dentist can remove the infection, fill the cavity it caused, and if necessary, cap the tooth with a lifelike crown to protect it and preserve it. Yet, if the infection has already spread through the tooth’s root canal and/or has left the tooth with little healthy tooth structure left, then extracting it and replacing it could be the most effective and conservative way to restore your good oral health.
Why waiting shouldn’t be an option
Because tooth extraction is often a last-resort solution, waiting any longer to treat your tooth could lead to much more severe complications with your oral health. An infected tooth could spread the infection; a damaged tooth could scrape or damage the tissues around it, as well as risk the integrity of the teeth closest to it. Once tooth extraction has been recommended, it’s best not to hesitate to seek treatment and remove the threat to your smile.
Find out if tooth extraction is the right call
The goal of expert dental care is to preserve your healthy smile. Sometimes, that means extracting a tooth that can’t be saved so the rest of your teeth and oral tissues are safe. To find out if you need tooth extraction, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.
