Wondering if Tooth Extraction Is Necessary?

When faced with the need for tooth extraction, it’s natural to wonder if the procedure is really necessary. After all, it’s usually better to protect and preserve your healthy, natural tooth structure. However, tooth extraction isn’t something that’s often recommended. If your dentist suggests it, then the tooth in question is beyond saving and will become a threat to the rest of your oral health, if it hasn’t already. At our Newhall, CA, dental office, we’ll not only extract a tooth that is beyond saving, but also help you fully restore your smile by replacing it with a lifelike prosthesis shortly afterward.

The most common reasons for it

Before recommending tooth extraction, we’ll thorough examine your tooth and oral structures to determine if it can be saved and restored. For example, even a tooth is severely damaged, it may still be saved with a custom-designed dental crown. If it’s internally decayed, then root canal treatment might be able to remove the infection in time to save the tooth’s remaining healthy structure. However, if the tooth’s root is fractured, or if too much of the tooth’s structure is decayed, then restoring it may not be possible. The same is true for impacted wisdom teeth, which are among the most commonly extracted teeth.

Why waiting is a bad idea

In most cases, the need for tooth extraction indicates the worst stages of a dental health concern. That means hesitating to undergo treatment can lead to severely worse oral health conditions, including the loss of the tooth anyway. However, by extracting the tooth as soon as possible, we can help you avoid the more serious potential consequences, as well as make way for us to replace the tooth with a sturdy, lifelike prosthesis (such as a dental implant and crown).

Finish restoring your smile

Because restoring and preserving your smile is the point of tooth extraction, the best thing to do next is to replace it. The removal of the tooth may save your smile from its impact, but its loss can also have an effect on your bite’s balance, the stability of your other teeth, your long-term oral health, and more. As part of your treatment plan, we may also recommend replacing the tooth as soon as possible after extracting it to reduce the impacts that it can have on your smile.

Learn if you need tooth extraction

Treating a damaged or decayed tooth early can often help you save it, but in some cases, extracting a compromised tooth is the only way to successfully restore your smile. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Newhall Dental Arts in Newhall, CA, today at (661) 259-7760.