When most people think of tooth extraction, they imagine a painful and traumatic experience. However, there are many reasons why someone in Richmond, Virginia, might consider a tooth extraction – even if they have no dental pain. Tooth extractions may be the best option for some people in certain circumstances. Here are four reasons why you might want to consider Richmond tooth extractions.
Tooth Decay
If you have severe tooth decay, your dental team may recommend that one or more teeth be extracted. Tooth decay is the main reason for extractions, as it usually results in significant damage to the tooth structure. Filling a large cavity may not be possible, and root canal treatment can be unsuccessful if the tooth has been badly damaged by tooth decay.
Tooth Abscess
When bacteria create an area of infection in the mouth, it can cause a tooth abscess. The immune system sends cells to fight the disease, and these dead cells accumulate around the infected teeth creating pus. This pus gets trapped between the gum and bone tissue surrounding the affected tooth(s), causing pain, swelling, heat, redness, and tenderness. Tooth extraction may be necessary to drain the abscess and allow it to heal.
Tooth Injury
Fractured teeth, chipped teeth, or teeth that have been damaged by trauma are sometimes too severely damaged to be successfully repaired with dental treatment. Although options exist for improving these injuries, some cases require tooth extraction as the best treatment method.
Injury to adjacent teeth
If you have a cracked or chipped tooth, your dentist may decide to extract any adjacent teeth as these teeth are at risk of developing the same injury. In many cases, it is better to remove a tooth that has been damaged than to wait and see if it will be successfully treated.
Root Formation
If a tooth hasn’t erupted fully, it can cause problems as the roots develop under the gums. Sometimes this causes a bone cyst to form, which is an abnormal growth of cells inside the bone tissue. In some cases, extraction of the affected tooth is necessary to stop these conditions from occurring. In some cases, even with the best care and treatment, tooth extraction may be the only way to solve a dental problem.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth are the final adult molars to develop, and they usually erupt between the ages of 17-25. Wisdom teeth can cause problems if they come through at an angle or partially emerge from the gum tissue, resulting in discomfort, swelling, infection, and damage to adjacent teeth.
Extraction of the wisdom tooth may be necessary if you experience swelling or pain. In many cases, wisdom teeth can be successfully removed and the roots contained within the bone, which means that you should experience no further problems with tooth eruption.
Overcrowding of Teeth
Overcrowding is when there isn’t enough room in the mouth for all of your teeth to erupt fully. Retained baby teeth can cause this, extra teeth growing in, or wisdom teeth that haven’t erupted. Sometimes extraction of one or more milk or baby teeth may be necessary to avoid overcrowding and allow the permanent teeth to grow through.
In conclusion, there are common reasons for tooth extraction. These include severe tooth decay, abscesses from an infection in your mouth, injury to a tooth or teeth caused by trauma, and wisdom teeth that have erupted at an angle or partially emerged from the gum tissue. In some cases of these problems, dental treatment may resolve them, but other times it is better to extract a badly damaged tooth.
