Sometimes, to protect your smile from infection, damage, or decay, it’s necessary to undergo a procedure known as a tooth extraction. While it’s normal to feel a little down or discouraged about needing this treatment, the good news is that it certainly can help restore your healthy smile. Here’s how!
Pain Prevention
If your tooth is currently infected or decayed, it may be experiencing some pain or sensitivity. The good news is that with extraction, damage-related discomfort should go away on its own. While your mouth may still be sore for a few days after your procedure, your dentist will absolutely numb it before beginning, and they’ll also provide you with complete aftercare instructions to help speed up the healing process and manage any discomfort after, too!
Safeguarding Smiles
Sometimes, keeping a tooth in place in your arches can be more painful than just removing it as soon as you can. That’s because things like dangerous tooth infections and even impacted wisdom teeth can all be incredibly uncomfortable, and if left untreated, may even cause any pain and damage to get worse! Thus, by removing the offending tooth or teeth, you can protect the rest of your healthy smile, reducing your risk of needing even more extractions later!
Improving Appearances
Although this treatment is often used to alleviate pain, sometimes teeth should be extracted for aesthetic reasons, too, such as if your jaw isn’t big enough to accommodate them all. In fact, some orthodontists still recommend removing back teeth to help make space in the arches before getting braces or aligners, even if they’re otherwise healthy. Ultimately, this creates more room for the rest of your smile to lie flush, and makes it easier to avoid cavities and gum disease, too!
When Should I Replace an Extracted Tooth?
The good news is that while not all extracted teeth will need to be replaced, such as wisdom teeth or back molars, if you do require a replacement such as a dental implant, bridge, or denture, your dentist will be happy to help with that too! During your consultation, they will review your oral health and then recommend which options will work best for restoring your healthy, beautiful smile once your mouth has healed.
Remember, although it’s understandable that you’d want to avoid a tooth extraction, the good news is that removing teeth that are damaged, severely decayed, or that may cause dangerous oral health problems if they remain in place can help give you a healthier and more beautiful smile overall!
About Our Practice
At Harrisonburg Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, Dr. DeNicola and Dr. Khanna understand that nobody really wants to have a tooth extraction. That’s why they go out of their way to ensure that not only is this treatment performed only when absolutely necessary, but that it is as comfortable as possible when it is. To schedule your tooth extraction consultation, visit our website or call us today at 540-432-6616.