The Truth About How Having A Tooth Removed Can Help Your Dental Health

OFTEN, TOOTH EXTRACTION IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD FLAUNTING YOUR MOST BEAUTIFUL SMILE
In another lifetime, when you were still a child, losing a tooth signaled a visit from the tooth fairy. Unfortunately, as soon as you had all your adult teeth, losing a tooth became significantly less enjoyable. There are several reasons that you might require a tooth extraction to maintain your oral health, like an impacted tooth, to prevent overcrowding, or a decayed tooth. Even though a dental extraction may not seem like a good time, it's no longer as frightening or painful as it used to be. Using current techniques and multiple sedation choices, MINT dentistry makes dental extractions a bit easier in the event that you require one. Our team in Dallas and Houston, TX will thoroughly evaluate the affected area prior to suggesting an extraction. If a tooth has to be taken out, our staff will ensure you feel relaxed from start to finish. Read on to learn about the two main methods of tooth extractions and the leading reasons why a tooth or teeth may need to be pulled.

TYPES OF DENTAL EXTRACTIONS
There are many reasons that a tooth may have to get removed. To begin, your team at MINT dentistry will determine the reason for your oral problem. Then, they will decide which kind of tooth extraction best fits your needs. Almost all tooth extractions fall into two basic categories:

• SURGICAL EXTRACTION
  A surgical extraction will be used if the crown hasn't fully broken out of the gums. Therefore, an incision is needed to get to the tooth inside the gums. If needed, the tooth may be cut into several pieces for a smoother extraction. Extraction surgery is usually utilized to take out the wisdom teeth or a tooth that hasn't erupted.
• SIMPLE EXTRACTION
  Your dental care provider will conduct a simple extraction if your crown of the tooth has erupted above the gums. The tooth may be loosened with a dental tool known as an elevator before the tooth and root are taken out of the jawbone and gums. A simple extraction is typically selected if a tooth is severely infected, extremely decayed, or not able to be saved, or to address overcrowded teeth.

TYPICAL REASONS YOU COULD HAVE TO HAVE A TOOTH REMOVED
Several types of dental issues may result in needing a tooth extraction. Among the top reasons patients in Dallas and Houston, TX will require a dental extraction is to head off a tooth eruption problem. These are several of the other standard reasons you might require a tooth extraction:

• DAMAGE TO THE TEETH
  Unfortunately, accidents can happen to us all, and, occasionally, our teeth might be damaged. While the preferred option is generally to make all efforts to save the tooth, it isn't always possible. The trauma might be a result of a car crash or even an athletic or on-the-job incident, but no matter the reason, anyone in Dallas and Houston, TX really should plan a consultation with a dental practitioner if they've suffered a tooth injury. Sometimes, the harm isn't visible to a nonprofessional.
• EXTREME DECAY
  If a cavity is neglected or not treated appropriately, it can spread to the pulp within the tooth. Even though a root canal could possibly be performed to preserve the tooth, it may need to be extracted if the damage is severe enough to compromise the tooth's structure. A simple extraction may prevent the decay and disease from spreading to other teeth, the gums, jawbone, and, eventually, your blood.
• TOOTH OVERCROWDING
  In many cases, one or more teeth may have to be taken out to prepare for an orthodontic treatment such as Invisalign or metal braces. These treatments are intended to shift the teeth into the proper alignment, which might mean extracting one or more teeth if there is not enough space so the remaining teeth are able to fit. Overcrowded teeth are typically resolved with simple extraction.
• MOLARS
  Many patients' third molars, also called the wisdom teeth, will most likely have to be removed. The modern human jaw normally isn't big enough fit these extra teeth, so when they start to grow out of the gum tissue (usually from the late teens to early twenties), your dentist could suggest a surgical extraction. It's key to get the wisdom teeth taken out as early as possible, before they become infected or impacted. However, certain men and women don't need to get their wisdom teeth extracted. Very rarely, some lucky individuals don't develop all four wisdom teeth or even any at all!
• TOOTH IMPACTION
  When patients have tooth impaction, it signals that there is some type of obstruction preventing the tooth from erupting out of the gum tissue. An impacted tooth might be obstructed by a primary tooth that still hasn't fallen out naturally, or it may be developing in an abnormal direction and is blocked by a nearby permanent tooth. Depending upon the source of the impaction, the dentist may recommend a surgical or simple extraction to alleviate pain or prevent an infection.

HEALING PERIOD FOR A TOOTH EXTRACTION
After a tooth extraction, it's critical to understand and strictly adhere to your dentist’s after-care directions. A simple extraction will normally require less recovery time than a surgical extraction, but it is going to be different for every case. You could be prescribed antibiotics to avoid infection, as well as a pain reliever. You may want to go on a liquid diet for the first few days after the procedure, while your gums are sore and recovering. This is a fantastic opportunity to snack on a little ice cream, but you should also use protein shakes, etc., to get more nutritious foods. You ought to avoid ingesting any tobacco products, prior to and following your extraction, as they will impede your body's ability to heal correctly. Your dentist may tell you to use an antibiotic oral rinse until you are released to start flossing and brushing again.

THE ANSWER TO A HEALTHIER, MORE ATTRACTIVE SMILE MAY INVOLVE A TOOTH EXTRACTION
A dental extraction could be done for several reasons, including to prevent decay from traveling throughout the body, to address an impaction, or simply to provide your remaining teeth additional space. Dealing with all of these conditions at MINT dentistry is key to finally having your healthiest, most alluring smile. Reach out to our office in Dallas and Houston, TX to schedule a consultation with our knowledgeable dental professionals to talk about whether a simple or surgical extraction could be the best solution for your future smile.