At least once in your life, you'll need to have a tooth removed. One common reason adults undergo tooth extraction is severe damage from decay. Other possible reasons include the following:
- Crowded teeth. Crowded teeth can cause alignment issues and bite problems. To resolve this, tooth extraction may be necessary. Your dentist may also recommend pulling teeth that cannot fully erupt, as the case with wisdom teeth removal.
- Impacted wisdom tooth. Your wisdom tooth may erupt at an angle if there is no enough room to accommodate it. An impacted wisdom tooth can cause irritation and inflammation, affecting adjacent teeth. It can also cause pain and discomfort. Extraction is usually recommended by dentists in rare cases where the impacted wisdom teeth can already cause damage to your jaw bone.
- Infected tooth. When a tooth is damaged beyond repair that other restorative procedures such as root canal therapy will no longer work, extraction may be the best solution. The tooth has to be removed to prevent the infection from spreading and protect your oral health. Please note that dental professionals will only recommend extraction when no other available method can save the damaged tooth.
- Gum disease. Periodontal or gum disease can cause loosening of your tooth. When this happens, the affected tooth may have to be pulled to also prevent affecting surrounding teeth.
What Happens During Tooth Extraction?
Your dentist will use a local anesthetic to eliminate pain and numb tooth area during the procedure. The methods may vary depending on the reason for tooth extraction.
Simple extractions can be completed by loosening and removing the tooth with the help of dental instruments. Other tooth extractions may be more complex and surgical in nature. This goes for impacted teeth where your dentist will still have to make small incision into your gum.
Before proceeding with the extraction, your dentist will educate you on the necessary steps. If you have questions, be sure to let them know.
If you feel you may need to have a tooth removed, please contact us at Kitchener office so we can examine your mouth for you.
