The Facts About Why Having A Tooth Extracted Can Improve General Dental Health

MANY TIMES, TOOTH EXTRACTION IS THE FIRST STEP TOWARD GETTING YOUR SEXIER, HEALTHIER SMILE
Back when you were a little kid, pulling a tooth signaled a dollar or two from the tooth fairy. However, as soon as you got all your permanent teeth, losing a tooth became much less enjoyable. There are multiple reasons why you may have a dental extraction to improve your dental health, such as a tooth that hasn't erupted, to avoid overcrowding, or an infected tooth. While a dental extraction may not seem like a good time, it's no longer as frightening or uncomfortable as it used to be. With contemporary methods and many sedation options, MINT dentistry in South Arlington makes dental extractions a little easier in case you need one. Our dental team in Arlington, TX will thoroughly evaluate the tooth prior to recommending an extraction. If a tooth has to be extracted, our team strives to make sure you feel comfortable from start to finish. Read on to find out about the two main types of dental extractions and common reasons why a tooth might have to be removed.

KINDS OF TOOTH EXTRACTIONS
There are a number of reasons why a tooth might have to get extracted. To begin, the team at MINT dentistry in South Arlington will establish the cause of your oral symptoms. After that, they can determine what kind of tooth removal best fits your case. Almost all tooth extractions fall into two main categories:

• SURGICAL EXTRACTION
  A surgical extraction will be used when the tooth hasn't totally erupted out of the gumline. Therefore, an incision is necessary to access the tooth inside the tissue. If necessary, the tooth could be divided into multiple pieces for a simpler extraction. A surgical extraction is typically used to take out the wisdom teeth or a nonerupted tooth.
• SIMPLE EXTRACTION
  Your dental practitioner will perform a simple extraction if your tooth has erupted above the gumline. It may be loosened with a tool called an elevator before the tooth and root are removed from the jawbone and gum tissue. This technique is mainly used when a tooth is severely infected, very decayed, or not able to be saved, or to help with overcrowded teeth.

TYPICAL REASONS YOU MIGHT BE REQUIRED TO GET A TOOTH EXTRACTED
Numerous different oral problems could lead to needing a tooth extraction. Among the leading reasons adults in Arlington, TX might have a tooth extraction is to head off tooth eruption failure. These are several of the additional standard reasons you may need a dental extraction:

• OVERCROWDING OF THE TEETH
  Often, one or more teeth might have to be extracted in order to begin an orthodontic treatment such as Invisalign or standard braces. These treatments are designed to move the teeth into the proper alignment, which could require pulling one or more teeth if there is not enough room so the remaining teeth are able to fit. Overcrowded teeth are typically treated with a simple extraction.
• MOLARS
  Most people's back molars, frequently referred to as the wisdom teeth, will, in all likelihood, have to be extracted. The human jaw generally isn't big enough fit these particular teeth, so as they begin to poke out of the gum tissue (usually from the late teens to early twenties), your dentist may need to perform a surgical extraction. It's crucial to have your third molars taken out as soon as you can, before they get impacted or infected. However, some people never need to get their back molars pulled out. Very rarely, some lucky individuals don't develop all four wisdom teeth or even any whatsoever!
• TRAUMA TO THE TEETH
  Sadly, injuries can happen to us all, and, occasionally, our teeth might incur trauma. Although the ideal option is generally to try to preserve the tooth, it isn't always possible. The damage could be due to a car accident or maybe an athletic or workplace incident, but whatever the reason, anyone in Arlington, TX really should set up a visit with a dental professional if they've experienced a mouth injury. Sometimes, the injury might not be visible right away.
• TEETH THAT HAVEN'T ERUPTED
  If you have tooth impaction, it signals that there is some type of obstruction preventing the tooth from breaking out of the gums. An impacted tooth may be stuck behind a baby tooth that still hasn't come out on its own, or it could be developing in an abnormal direction and is blocked by another permanent tooth. Based on the source of the impaction, your dentist can perform a surgical or simple extraction to reduce discomfort or avoid an infection.
• SEVERE DECAY
  If a dental cavity is left untreated or not treated appropriately, it will often eat into the pulp inside the tooth. While a root canal may potentially be used to save the tooth, it may need to be removed if the cavity is extreme enough to compromise the tooth. A simple extraction may prevent the decay and disease from reaching your other teeth, the gums, jawbone, and, finally, your bloodstream.

HEALING TIME FOR A TOOTH EXTRACTION
After a dental extraction, it's vital to understand and diligently follow your dentist’s after-care directions. A simple extraction will normally need less recovery time than a surgical extraction, but it is going to be different for each case. You could be given a prescription for antibiotics to avoid infection, as well as a pain reliever. You may opt to go on a liquid diet for the immediate few days after the procedure, when the area is still sore and recovering. This is a great opportunity to have some ice cream, but you should also make soup, etc., for healthier foods. You must stop ingesting any tobacco products, both before and after your procedure, because they may reduce your capacity to heal properly. Your dentist might recommend using an antibiotic oral rinse until you can start flossing and brushing again.

THE PATH TO A BETTER, MORE ATTRACTIVE SMILE MIGHT INVOLVE A TOOTH EXTRACTION
A tooth extraction might be performed for a lot of reasons, including to stop decay from affecting other teeth, to resolve an impaction, or just to give your remaining teeth more space. Treating all of these issues at MINT dentistry in South Arlington is key to achieving your healthiest, most alluring smile. Visit us in Arlington, TX to schedule a consultation with our skilled staff to talk about whether a surgical or simple extraction could be the best treatment for your future smile.