No matter how well you take care of your teeth, sometimes factors outside of your control can hurt them. Of course, practicing good preventative care like brushing and flossing your teeth regularly and visiting the dentist for checkups is always recommended, but sometimes decay or trauma can still occur. Despite the trepidation you may have, extracting teeth in certain situations can be the best option for you, as it can have immense medical benefits. In today’s blog, your Newhall, CA, dentist discusses the reasons and times that may call for this procedure.
When It Is Necessary
While the thought of undergoing oral surgery may seem intimidating, tooth extraction is one of the most common types of these procedures. You surely know lots of people (if you haven’t gone through it yourself) who have had their wisdom teeth removed. This is a very regular procedure and is similar to extracting other teeth as well. There are myriad other reasons why you may need to have a tooth removed, too, and if your dentist determines it is the best option, you should listen. For instance, advanced gum disease — when gingivitis is left untreated — can severely loosen a tooth to the point where extraction is the best option.
Additionally, those with compromised immune systems can see lots of benefits from removal too. Infection stemming from the teeth and gums can spread to other places in your body, wreaking havoc on seemingly unrelated body parts and organs. Extraction can also be the right move when decay and damage are severe enough that cosmetic and restorative procedures cannot effectively fix the damage.
What Happens After Removal?
It is essential to fill in the gap left after extraction. When you lose a tooth, your jawbone is not sufficiently stimulated, which can cause it to lose density and strength. Moreover, the action of chewing — when you have all your teeth — can help release nutrients into the bloodstream. You can also suffer from nutrition deficiencies with missing teeth because your eating is hindered. With this in mind, it is essential to receive a bridge, dentures, or a dental implant to fill in the gap. This is especially important given recent studies that indicate a strong correlation between tooth loss and dementia. This is all to say that once you do have a tooth removed, you need to have a dentist or oral surgeon fill the space as soon as possible.
Contact Us To Learn More About Extraction
If you have a damaged tooth and restorative or cosmetic options won’t cut it, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. We can help you with both the removal and the replacement prosthetic. You can schedule an appointment by calling your Newhall, CA, dentist, Dr. Tajik, at (661) 259-7760. We look forward to hearing from you soon.