The idea of going to the dentist for a tooth extraction strikes fear into the heart of many people. We still often use the cliche of “I’d rather get teeth pulled than …” when discussing something we don’t want to do. But the reality is that extracting teeth is sometimes a necessary and very beneficial procedure. And with advances in modern technologies and treatment methods, it’s much less painful than the cliches would have you believe.

There Are Many Reasons to Get a Tooth Extracted

Here are some things you should know about tooth extractions:

Now, most people are aware that poor dental hygiene may lead to a severe infection in the gum that requires a tooth to be extracted. But infections are not the only reasons a person may need to have a tooth extracted. And sometimes a tooth needs to be extracted for reasons beyond your control.

Reasons for pulling a tooth include broken or damaged teeth from decay, infections, gum disease, loose teeth, trauma and crowding.

• Infections have to be taken care off immediately.
• A broken or severely damaged tooth may need to be extracted and replaced.
• Wisdom teeth can develop problems that require urgent dental care.  Spacing and crowding problems can cause impaction and infections and can be a reason to have wisdom teeth removed.
• If teeth are overcrowded (when they are too many teeth in the upper or lower arch of the jaw)— it might be necessary to remove one or two teeth prior to getting orthodontics. This allows sufficient space for the remaining teeth to be moved into an ideal position.

A Tooth Extraction is Not the First Choice

Dentists hold the belief that nothing compares to having your natural teeth in your mouth. This means they’ll do everything they can to preserve your existing teeth before getting an extraction.

Fillings will be used if the tooth has a cavity, to preserve the tooth and try to prevent it from chipping and cracking. Crowns are used to cap a chipped or cracked tooth to restore its shape and function. Veneers are used on chipped teeth to restore their look, and higher-end veneers can go some way to restoring tooth function.

Root canals are often used as a last resort to save a tooth prior to extraction. Root canals are treatments to remove infections from the interior of a tooth, which when left untreated will result in the tooth needing to be removed. By clearing the infection and maintaining proper oral hygiene, a natural tooth can instead be preserved.

There Are Many Options to Replace A Missing Tooth

When a tooth is extracted, teeth on either side will slowly start to move to fill in the space. This can result in a whole host of new problems further down the road, so replacing a missing tooth is important.

Options for replacing a missing tooth depend on budget and how many teeth are missing. A dental bridge — basically several dental crowns stuck to together — can replace several teeth. One or more dental implants will replace the root of a single tooth and can be used to anchor a crown, bridge, partial denture, or whole denture. And, of course, classic dentures can be used if most or all of the teeth need to be extracted.

Whether it’s to remove a damaged tooth, a diseased tooth, or simply to make space for orthodontic work, we can help you out at PB Dental Emergencies in San Diego. Contact our staff today for more information, or visit us today.

If you have severe pain or an infection, call us right away. We’re available for emergencies 24/7

For more information or if you think you have a dental emergency that needs fixing fast, contact our team at PB Dental Emergencies in Pacific Beach, san Diego.

Call us at 858-699-2565