Posted

Since the point of maintaining good hygiene and regular dental care is to preserve your natural smile, it may seem counterproductive for your dentist to recommend tooth extraction. However, in some cases, a tooth cannot be successfully saved, and trying to do so may cause more problems overall for your oral health. Today, we look at three times when tooth extraction is the best option, and how the procedure helps protect the long-term health and integrity of your smile.

1. Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Not everyone develops wisdom teeth, or third molars, as they enter young adulthood. But, for those who do, the molars can often cause a host of dental health issues due to spacing and crowding issues. Wisdom teeth frequently become impacted by the second set of molars that came before them, and as they try to erupt, they can force your other teeth out of alignment. Therefore, extracting wisdom teeth is often the best way to prevent them from causing more extensive dental damage.

2. Severely Misaligned Teeth

When your teeth are misaligned, the imbalance in your bite can lead to excessive tooth wear, as well as cracks, fractures, and increased risks of tooth decay. To correct the problem, your dentist will likely recommend orthodontic treatment to straighten crooked teeth. In cases where a tooth is severely misaligned, however, your dentist may have to extract the tooth in order to more successfully realign the others.

3. Extensively Damaged Teeth

Tooth cracks and fractures can often be treated with custom dental crowns, especially if the damage is only mild or moderate. Yet, when a tooth has suffered trauma to a majority of its structure, or if the root has been fractured or broken, then restoring the tooth may not be possible. Extracting the troublesome tooth can allow your dentist to replace it with a durable, lifelike replacement (such as a dental implant) to restore your bite’s function and balance.

Find Out if Tooth Extraction Is Your Best Option

In certain cases, extracting and replacing a tooth is a better option for your smile than trying to save it. To learn more, or to schedule an appointment with our dental health experts, call Cedar Dental in Cedar Rapids, IA, today at (319) 364-7108. We also welcome patients from Mount Vernon, Iowa City, Hiawatha, and all nearby communities.