Not everyone needs dental extractions. Teeth that are properly cared for every day, and that aren’t subjected to damage from injury, medical treatment, or genetics, can last a lifetime. However, few people go through life without dental cavities, chips, or fractures. Teeth battle bacteria, acid, and crushing pressure every single day of your life. Even when you’re sleeping soundly, your teeth are fighting a war. Sometimes, natural teeth don’t last forever.
Furthermore, if you have too many teeth for the size of your arches, or if you’ve lost many teeth and will be transitioning to dentures, extractions may be necessary.
In today’s blog, we’ll discuss four excellent reasons for extractions. You’ll learn more about:
- Orthodontic preparation
- Dentures preparation
- Third molars
- Unsalvageable teeth
Orthodontic Preparation
During childhood, a palatal expander can widen the upper arch to make room for all the teeth it will need to accommodate. The expander applies pressure on both sides of the upper palate, so the bones separate and growth occurs between them. This growth creates width and space.
Adults and teens can wear upper expanders, too, but their bones don’t grow as quickly as they did between the ages of 5 and 16. Over age 16, the potential for unwanted side effects of wearing an expander increases. These include, but are not limited to:
- Chronic pain
- Flared teeth
- Gum issues (periodontal)
- Uneven bite
- Tooth dislocation
- Eating becomes a challenge
- Jawbone erosion
- Tooth loss
For crowded teeth in teens and adults, extractions will prepare the upper arch by creating ample space for all remaining teeth to become properly aligned.
Lower palatal expanders are very different from their upper counterpart. A lower expander pushes molars away from the center of the palate and toward the back of the arch, creating additional space to align teeth in the front of the mouth.
In many cases, dental extractions are the best option to prepare the mouth for orthodontic treatment.
Dentures Preparation
Whether they are healthy or not, all teeth must be extracted before a denture is placed. This is true for traditional and implant-retained dentures.
Third Molars
Wisdom teeth, or third molars, erupt in a person’s late teens or early adult life. Though some people have four fully-grown wisdom teeth and experience no issues, others endure pain and decay for years.
Notoriously, wisdom teeth can become impacted. This occurs when they move toward a neighboring tooth rather than upward through the jaw. When a wisdom tooth is impacted, the patient will usually experience pain and can develop an infection. Extracting an impacted wisdom tooth requires minor oral surgery.
Also, because of their size and location in the back of the mouth, wisdom teeth are extremely hard to brush and floss. Oftentimes, multiple cavities develop on these large back teeth, warranting their extraction.
Some parents and teens opt to have wisdom teeth extracted before they erupt. Minor oral surgery can remove all four wisdom teeth as a preemptive measure against potential future problems. At Metro Dental Care, we can help advise you whether to remove your (or your teen’s) third molars.
Unsalvageable Tooth
A deep crack or cavity will allow bacteria to infiltrate the interior chamber of a tooth. This leads to infection, which places pressure on the tooth’s nerve. At this stage, root canal therapy offers a healthy way for the patient to retain the tooth and get out of pain. Note, however, that once a tooth’s core is infected, it will not heal if left untreated.
The only other option is extraction. Also, if your dentist determines that your infected tooth will not respond favorably to root canal therapy, he will recommend extraction. Teeth with prior root canal treatment may be retreated in some situations, but often need to be removed and replaced with a bridge or dental implant.
Call Metro Dental Care Today
If you’ve been advised to have extractions and you’d like a second opinion, call Metro Dental Care in Denver today at 303.534.2626 to schedule an appointment. If our dentist can save your tooth with restorative treatment and confidence that the tooth can remain healthy for years to come, he or she will suggest this conservative option. However, if your tooth requires extraction for the benefit of your oral and overall health, rest assured that we will keep you comfortable throughout the procedure and provide post-extraction instructions for a speedy recovery.
