Tooth extraction is quite a standard procedure performed daily in most dental offices. In this article, we answer a common question of our patients: How do you know if you need a tooth extraction?
How Do You Know If You Need a Tooth Extraction?
Tooth extraction is typically necessary in one of these cases: acute infection, severe injury, or preparation for an orthodontic treatment. Let us look at each of these instances in more detail:
Acute Tooth Infection
In many cases, a tooth infection that spreads to the pulp inside the canals of the tooth can be successfully treated with root canal therapy, followed by the placement of a dental crown. However, if the tooth is not treated in time, it might require extraction as it is impossible to save, and there is a risk of the infection spreading to the jawbone. That is why we strongly recommend seeing your dentist as soon as you notice any of the following signs of tooth infection:
- Severe toothache
- Darkening of the tooth or black or brown spots on the tooth
- Swelling of the gum tissue around the infected tooth
- Swelling of the jaw in the area of the infected tooth
- Pus oozing from the gums around the tooth
- Cysts or pimples on the gums
- Bad breath or bad taste in the mouth that persists even after brushing and flossing your teeth
In some cases, a failed or expertly performed root canal treatment can lead to reinfection of the tooth, which might result in tooth extraction.
Severe Tooth Injury
An injury might occur due to an impact on the face in the area of the jaw. An extraction might be required in cases when the tooth is broken close to the gum line and can not be restored with such treatments as dental bonding, root canal therapy, dental crown, etc. Additionally, extraction might be required if the roots and the nerves of the tooth are severely damaged.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Many people need to undergo wisdom tooth extraction. Of course, not every patient needs their wisdom teeth extracted. Some people are lucky enough to enjoy healthy wisdom teeth that do not cause them any issues. However, several common instances typically call for wisdom teeth removal:
- Impacted wisdom teeth often require removal, as they can cause a lot of discomfort. Impacted wisdom teeth are those that are not able to erupt (most often due to the angle at which they are positioned) and are completely hidden underneath the gum. As a result, they can cause gum infection, irritation, and pain. They can also get infected.
- Partially impacted wisdom teeth, as the name suggests, are partially hidden underneath the gum line and can cause many of the same problems as impacted wisdom teeth. Also, it is typically challenging to clean partially impacted wisdom teeth effectively, which results in cavities and infections.
- Fully erupted wisdom teeth that get reinfected often due to insufficient cleaning are also typically removed. Of course, infected wisdom teeth can be treated in the same way as all other teeth, but if their position in the mouth makes it difficult to clean them effectively on a daily basis, they have a risk of becoming infected time and time again. This makes treatment costly and inconvenient, and on top of that, they can cause damage to the surrounding teeth and gum tissue. For these reasons, most dentists recommend removing such teeth.
Signs of infected wisdom teeth are the same as in cases of infection of the rest of your teeth. If your wisdom teeth are impacted, you might experience swelling and soreness of the gum at the back of your mouth, especially when it is touched with a tongue or a finger.
Preparation for an Orthodontic Treatment
Orthodontic treatment for overcrowded teeth often requires teeth extraction. In most cases, teeth are overcrowded due to the lack of space in the mouth. Thus, the space has to be created artificially to allow the teeth to move apart. Typically, wisdom teeth are extracted in preparation for an orthodontic treatment. However, there are cases when other teeth might need to be extracted.
Safe Tooth Extraction at Shodhan Yucaipa
Make an appointment today for a stress-free and safe tooth extraction with an experienced dentist at Shodhan Yucaipa. Do not put off extracting a severely infected tooth, as it is likely to cause the infection to spread to the surrounding teeth, gum tissue, and jawbone. Our specialists look forward to your visit.