Why Do Our Teeth Sometimes Need Extraction?

Posted by

While our care is focused on preserving your natural teeth, occasionally maintaining optimal oral health means removing a tooth. In today’s blog, we’re looking at dental extractions and the steps we take to ensure the procedure is a comfortable one for our Dallas, TX, patients.

Try Our Quiz on Dental Extraction

  1. True or False: Wisdom teeth often need extraction
  2. True or False: Gum disease may lead to tooth removal.
  3. True or False: We take steps to ensure our patients remain comfortable.
  4. True or False: We can discuss tooth replacement.

Answer Key

  1. True. Wisdom teeth often erupt in our late teens or early 20s, meaning up to four additional teeth can arrive and cause misalignment, impaction, infection, and a host of negative complications for your smile. In order to avoid this, we may remove them entirely before they erupt.
  2. True. Without treatment gum disease eventually grows more severe until periodontitis sets in. The advanced stage of the disease, periodontitis, may cause the connective tissue between the teeth and gums to dissolve, causing loose teeth that require removal. Other factors that lead to tooth removal may include untreated infection or severely damaged teeth.
  3. True. We will first employ a local anesthetic to help ensure the patient feels comfortable. For nervous patients, we also have sedation in the form of nitrous oxide or oral sedation, which helps those with anxiety enter a more calm and relaxed state.
  4. True. If you have wisdom teeth removed, there is no need for replacement. But losing teeth due to gum disease, dental infections, or damage means a gap in your smile. Fortunately, we can discuss the placement of dental bridges or dental implants to help fill the gaps and avoid the complications of tooth loss. If you have any questions about the extraction process, or about replacing missing teeth, then contact our team today.

Does Your Smile Need an Extraction?

We offer a safe and comfortable way of removing wisdom teeth. For more information, schedule an appointment by calling Gentle Smiles in Dallas, TX, today at 972-329-7645 (972-329-SMILE).