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.
Tooth Loss in Teens and Adults
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.
Rebuilding Your Smile After Extraction
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.
Related Reading
- At What Age Should I Get a Wisdom Teeth Extraction?
- 10 Reasons To Consider Dental Implants
- 5 Reasons to Consider Gum Grafting
- The Ice Cream Dilemma: How Summer Sweets Impact Your Teeth (and What to Do About It)
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common reasons for a tooth extraction?
Teeth are usually removed when they are severely decayed or infected beyond repair, damaged by severe gum disease, fractured and unrepairable, blocked or crowded by extra teeth, impacted like wisdom teeth, needed for orthodontic treatment, or removed to make room for a prosthetic.
Can a root canal save a badly decayed tooth instead?
Sometimes. If decay or infection can be treated with a root canal or another dental procedure, the tooth may be saved. When the tooth is not treatable by any other method, removal relieves pain and keeps the infection from spreading into your jawbone.
Does gum disease lead to tooth extraction?
It can. Severe gum disease affects the supporting structures of the teeth, including bone and gums. Removing an affected tooth may be recommended to prevent gum disease from infecting the jawbone, which is much more serious than infected gums or teeth alone.
When are wisdom teeth removed?
Most Belmont residents have their wisdom teeth removed in their teens or early twenties. Wisdom teeth tend to be painful, may cause infection, can become impacted, and often crowd existing teeth, so extraction is frequently recommended once these problems begin to appear.
Are teeth ever removed for braces or dental implants?
Yes. Some orthodontic treatment plans, such as braces, call for removing a tooth or teeth as part of the plan. Teeth may also be removed so that a more aesthetically pleasing prosthetic, such as a dental implant, bridge, or denture, can be placed.
What happens after a tooth is extracted?
Depending on the tooth location and its aesthetic impact, the missing tooth can be replaced. Dental Restorative Group can help rebuild your smile with dental implants, dentures, or a bridge once the extraction site has healed and been evaluated by your dentist.
