When you’re growing up, losing a tooth is a huge deal. Losing your first tooth, especially, is a rite of passage and a sign that you are becoming a bigger kid. And it also means you’ll be getting your first visit from the tooth fairy.
But for teens and adults, losing a tooth is not such a celebrated event, especially if you’re losing that tooth via oral surgery for a tooth extraction. Many Belmont patients ask us what are the reasons that would cause them to lose a tooth, and require oral surgery to remove it. To help answer those questions, we’ve compiled this list of reasons for requiring oral surgery to extract a tooth:
- The tooth is severely decayed or infected, and cannot be treated with other dental procedures, like a root canal. If your tooth is not treatable by any other method, it will need to be removed for pain relief and so that the infection does not spread into your jawbone.
- You have a genetic condition that causes you to have extra teeth, and those extra teeth are blocking other teeth from coming in. Extra teeth may cause additional teeth to be impacted, or they could also cause crowding in your mouth and ruin your beautiful smile.
- You have severe gum disease that is affecting the supporting structures of the teeth, such as your bone or gums. If you have this condition, you may need to have a tooth removed to prevent gum disease from infecting your jawbone, which is much more serious than simply having infecting gums or teeth.
- You’re going to have an orthodontic treatment, such as braces, and need a tooth or teeth removed as part of your treatment plan;
- You’re having your wisdom teeth removed. Most Belmont residents get their wisdom teeth removed in their teens or early twenties, as wisdom teeth tend to be painful, cause infection, become impacted or crowd existing teeth.
- You have fractured teeth that cannot be repaired or are exposing the sensitive, internal layers of your teeth, which may cause severe pain if left untreated.
- You’re having teeth removed so you can have a more aesthetically pleasing prosthetic, such as a dental implant, bridge or denture.
If you need oral surgery to have a tooth removed, don’t worry. The Dental Restorative Group performs several tooth extractions frequently. Not only will the Dental Restorative Group work to ensure that your oral surgery runs smoothly, but we will also ensure you are completely comfortable throughout the procedure. And, depending on the tooth location and it’s aesthetic impacts, the Dental Restorative Group can also assist you with rebuilding your smile through dental implants, dentures or a bridge.
I Think I Might Need a Tooth Extracted
If you’re a Belmont area resident who is experiencing any of the symptoms listed above, and you think you may need oral surgery for a tooth extraction, then call our Belmont office today at (617) 489-1470 to schedule an evaluation and consultation with one of our oral surgeons.