It goes without saying that your preventive dental routine is essential to maintaining a lifelong smile, as well as providing necessary levels of strength and protection. Unfortunately, there are various oral health issues out there that threaten your oral structures on a daily basis, and sometimes prevention is no match for issues such as physical injuries or dental emergencies. While nobody’s first choice is to lose a permanent structure, sometimes it is the only viable option. In today’s blog, your Overland Park, KS dentist identifies important instances where dental extraction may be considered and how these actions prioritize your oral health overall.
A Tooth Beyond Saving
Before we begin, we want to emphasize that we want to help save your teeth to the best of our ability, and an extraction is never our first choice. Sometimes, however, oral bacteria, infections, dental emergencies, or other issues may have different plans. In order to stay on top of this process, we encourage our patients to attend all of their checkups and cleanings, which should be scheduled twice a year or once every six months.
The reason we encourage attending these visits, is that they allow our team an opportunity to monitor minor issues and prevent them from becoming major concerns. For example, a dental infection such as tooth decay or gum disease begins on a microscopic level out of view from the naked eye. As we are carrying on with our day, these microorganisms are causing damage and attempting to tunnel into the inner tooth area where your sensitive nerves are kept.
With this example in mind, it becomes clear how infections develop and spread before we even recognize that there is a problem. When a structure is beyond the point of return, the best option is to mitigate further spreading by removing the structure and infection with it.
Complicating Function
Another instance in which a dental extraction may be warranted includes complications to regular functions. For example, a significantly damaged tooth will result in discomfort, sharp pains, and sensitivity, making daily functions such as biting or chewing nearly impossible. To alleviate this concern, an extraction may be in order.
Additionally, wisdom teeth that have failed to erupt or have erupted partially are often extracted due to their impact on bite and function. To learn more about this process and what your options may be, give our team a call today.
Spreading Infection
A third situation in which we may recommend tooth removal is if a damaged or infected tooth poses a significant risk of infecting your neighboring or surrounding teeth. Remember, the bacteria that cause the infection spread into the initial structure, and they can just as easily spread to a neighboring tooth.
Learn More Today
Contact Family First Dental in Overland Park, KS by calling 913-381-2600 to schedule your next appointment with our team and learn how you can prioritize your oral health.