Tooth ExtractionIn a perfect world, you would not need to have any of your teeth extracted. You would be able to keep your permanent teeth throughout your adult life, without any major issues to speak of. Unfortunately, that’s not always how it works. Dental problems are a fact of life for some people, and you may get to a point where you need to have a tooth extracted. If that situation does arise, Spokane Dental would be happy to help.

With this blog post, we would like to inform you as to some of the reasons why a tooth may need to be extracted. You don’t need to be a dental expert, of course – that’s what we are here for – but it may be helpful to at least have some idea of what could lead to the extraction of a tooth.

A Broken Tooth

One of the many reasons that a tooth may need to be extracted is that the tooth has been broken. In some cases, a broken tooth will be able to be repaired, but that is not always possible. When the damage is simply too severe to fix, the tooth might need to come out. If you do break one or more of your teeth, see a dentist right away for care. Only a proper examination by a dentist will be able to confirm whether or not the tooth can be saved.

A Decayed Tooth

This situation is much the same as when a tooth is broken. A tooth which is badly decayed may need to come out. There are a variety of issues which can lead to tooth decay, and in the long run, those problems may lead to one or more teeth needing to come out.

Too Many Teeth

Believe it or not, some people need to have a tooth (or teeth) pulled simply because they had too many in the first place. If you have extra teeth which are blocking other teeth from coming in, it may be best to extract the extra teeth, so they are no longer in the way.

When Baby Teeth Won’t Leave

As you know, baby teeth are supposed to serve a child for a period of time before making way for permanent, adult teeth. Sometimes, however, baby teeth fail to fall out in a timely manner, creating a problem when the permanent teeth begin to arrive. In some cases, pulling the baby teeth is the best way to make room for new teeth to come through and take their place in the mouth.

Pulling Wisdom Teeth

It is quite common for wisdom teeth to be pulled. If a wisdom tooth causes pain or is impacted, it may need to come out. For many people, this will happen in their early 20s, if not a bit earlier. In some cases, it will actually be recommended to pull all four wisdom teeth at the same time.

At this point, we have touched on five common reasons for teeth to be extracted. While there are certainly other potential reasons that may pop up, the five listed above are going to make up a great many of the cases that come into any dental office.

So, if you do end up with a tooth that needs to be extracted, what can you expect to happen next? Many people put off having their teeth examined specifically because they are afraid of the treatment. We think the best way to get around that problem is to be informed. If you know what to expect right from the start, you can prepare yourself for it properly. We aren’t promising that your extraction will be fun but rarely is it as bad as patients expect.

An Individual Experience

The first thing to know about tooth extraction is that your experience will vary depending on the specifics of your case. You can’t assume that your experience will be the same as someone else, because your mouth is unique. To get started, an X-ray will need to be taken in order for the dentist to get a good look at the current situation in your mouth. With an exam complete, you and your dentist will discuss the options and settle on a plan to move forward.

Depending on the condition of the tooth in question, and other factors in your mouth, you may need either a simple extraction or a surgical extraction. As the names would indicate, a simple extraction is a relatively basic procedure, while the surgical extraction is, in fact, surgery to remove the tooth. Quite obviously, the latter is a more involved procedure which may be done either by a general dentist or an oral surgeon.

Your recovery is again going to depend on the circumstances of the extraction. As always, listen carefully to the instructions provided to you by the dental team. It’s likely that you will have some level of discomfort after having a tooth removed, so medication may be suggested as a way to deal with the discomfort. There are other tips and tricks that you may be able to use to aid in your recovery, such as placing an ice pack on your face to reduce swelling. Again, the best course of action is to closely follow along with the instructions provided by your dentist.

Thank you for taking the time to visit the Spokane Dental blog. We hope this post has provided you with some clarity on what it is that could lead to the extraction of a tooth. While you’d love to avoid this outcome, sometimes taking a tooth out of your mouth is the best available option. If you are having tooth pain or any other kind of oral health issue, please contact Spokane Dental right away. We look forward to serving you!