Tooth extraction isn’t the typical answer for most oral health concerns. When a tooth is damaged or decayed, or is compromised by some structural concern, the problem can usually be addressed with the right custom-made dental restoration. When the tooth can’t be saved, extracting it is typically a simple procedure that involves carefully grasping and removing the tooth from its socket. However, depending on the reason why your tooth needs to be extracted, as well as several other important factors, extracting the tooth may require minor oral surgery.
When the tooth’s structure is extremely damaged
Damaged tooth structure is one of the more common reasons for needing to restore a tooth. This can include varying levels of cracks or fractures, chipped edges, or broken crown structures, which your tooth won’t be able to heal on its own. Restoring the tooth can help you preserve it, but only if the damage isn’t significant enough to make tooth extraction necessary. If the tooth is so damaged that it doesn’t have ample healthy structure remaining above your gum line, then it may take oral surgery to expose the remainder of the tooth and successfully extract it.
When the tooth has become impacted
Tooth impaction can occur for a variety of reasons, but the most frequent is the development of third molars, or wisdom teeth. Many people lack sufficient space at the ends of their dental ridges to accommodate this last set of teeth, and the molars can end up impacted within the bone structure without a way to erupt properly. This can force the developing molars into improper growth patterns and cause them to damage your other teeth and jawbone structure. Because the impaction occurs within your dental ridge, surgically extracting the wisdom teeth could be the only way to stop them from threatening your oral health.
When the tooth’s root has been damaged
Simple tooth extraction involves carefully extracting a tooth and its root from your dental ridge. However, even if the tooth has enough healthy crown structure to grasp, simple extraction could fail if the tooth’s root is broken. Because you can’t restore your damaged tooth root, extracting the tooth could be necessary for restoring your smile. Because the root is damaged, this may require surgically accessing the root to successful extract it.
Learn if you need surgery to extract your tooth
For some cases of tooth extraction, minor oral surgery is required to fully access and successfully remove the compromised tooth structure. To learn more, schedule an appointment with us by calling Dreem Dentistry in Leawood, KS, today at 913-681-5500. We also serve patients who live in Overland Park and all surrounding communities.
