7 Reasons Why You Might Need a Tooth Extraction
7 Reasons Why You Might Need a Tooth Extraction
Do you have a tooth beyond repair? Here are 7 reasons why you might need a tooth extraction.
By the time most Americans are fifty years old, they will have lost 12% of all their teeth.
Sometimes teeth (like baby teeth) will just fall out, but sometimes your teeth may need a little extra help to come out.
Do you have a tooth beyond repair? Here are 7 reasons why you might need a tooth extraction.
1. Your Teeth Can't Be Repaired
You may need a tooth extraction if your tooth is damaged beyond repair.
This could happen when bacteria can get inside your tooth and affect the pulp. When the pulp of the tooth is damaged, it becomes very difficult to save.
In some cases, a root canal may help. To have the option for a root canal, you need to make an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible to get the issue resolved.
When it's too late for a root canal, you may need to get the tooth extracted so that the infection doesn't spread and damage your other teeth.
2. Remove an Impacted Tooth
Another reason you may need a tooth pulled is if one of your teeth is impacted. This happens a lot with wisdom teeth.
For most people, there isn't enough room for their wisdom teeth to grow in, so they will grow under one of the molars, becoming impacted. This can cause severe pain because your tooth will just start pushing on the other ones, also damaging the teeth.
Your dentist will normally be able to spot impacted teeth when they take an X-ray of your mouth. If they see a tooth is impacted, they will most likely recommend that you get it removed.
Making sure that you get rid of impacted teeth can also help with crowding and potentially prevent future infections.
3. To Prevent Crowding
As we said above, your mouth may be too small to fit all of your teeth. You may need to have some of them removed to make room for the others.
This normally happens when someone is going to get braces. To be able to straighten the teeth, some of them may need to be removed.
You shouldn't worry though. An orthodontist or dentist won't just start removing whatever teeth they want. They will decide which teeth would be better to be removed in order to give you a straight and healthy smile.
Some people are also just born with too many teeth. If all of these teeth start coming in with no room to go, it could cause problems and even hurt your jaw. This also increases the risk of infection because there are more places for food to get stuck.
Having your tooth extracted can help fix this problem.
4. You May Have Gum Disease
In addition to other bacteria ruining the pulp of your teeth, you could also have periodontal disease.
You should always be brushing your teeth at least two times a day to make sure that you're getting rid of the bad bacteria that is in your mouth. When it gets on your tooth, you can get cavities.
However, when the bacteria lives on your gums, you could end up with gum disease.
If you don't treat the gum disease, your gums can start to recede, which will weaken your teeth and jaw. Because your tooth may become loose with gum disease, they have the potential to randomly fall out.
Instead of accidentally swallowing or choking on one of your teeth, sometimes it's best to have them extracted. Make sure you talk to your dentist though and see what they think the best options would be.
In some cases, it's better to make the decision rather than wait for them to fall out.
5. A Baby Tooth Is Being Stubborn
We've all had those baby teeth that just refuse to come out. There are all kinds of tips and tricks to try and get the few, stubborn remaining baby teeth out.
However, instead of tying a string to your tooth and attaching the string to a door handle, call your dentist instead. They can remove the teeth in a safe way.
Sometimes your baby teeth will stay in as the adult tooth grows around it. If the adult tooth makes it harder for the baby tooth to fall out, you will need to get it professionally removed.
6. A Cavity Got Out of Control
As we said before, sometimes bacteria and gum disease can damage your teeth. The bacteria can eat away at the enamel and then damage the pulp of your tooth.
Cavities occur when the enamel is gone and there is a hole left in your teeth. This hole allows for other things to damage the nerve endings inside of your tooth.
It's important to keep your dentist appointments and go because if they catch a cavity early on, it's easier to treat. However, if you don't notice a cavity or don't treat it, it could get so bad to the point where you need to have it pulled.
7. You Had an Accident
Accidents happen. And sometimes they can happen to your teeth.
If you get into an accident that damages your teeth, your dentist should always try to preserve the tooth if possible. There are all kinds of cosmetics that could help with this.
You could try getting crowns, bridges, or even veneers on your teeth to try and preserve it after an accident.
However, if none of those options are doable or the damage is too much, you may need to have the tooth pulled. Keep in mind, that this should be a very last resort.
Get a Tooth Extraction Today!
Getting a tooth extraction can seem scary sometimes, but sometimes it's necessary.
If you need a tooth extraction for any of the reasons above, you should schedule an appointment with your dentist as soon as possible.
Contact us and schedule an appointment today!