Five Situations That Warrant Tooth Extractions

The staff at your dental clinic will always prioritize saving any of your teeth from unnecessary extractions. But there are situations when a tooth extraction in Winnipeg is the only prudent course of action. How can you know when you might be in one of those tight spots when a tooth needs to be pulled? Here is a quick look at five scenarios when a tooth extraction might be required.

Severe tooth decay

Typically when the team at your dental clinic in Winnipeg talks to people about tooth decay, it’s about the importance of preventing it. This is why. While decayed teeth can often be repaired without any extraction being required —fillings and crowns are examples of two common and effective solutions — serious tooth decay can destroy so much tooth tissue that the tooth simply isn’t structurally sound enough to last. Decay can also extend below your gum line, in which cases the roots of your tooth lose the ability to hold that tooth in place. In those situations, a tooth extraction may be necessary.

A broken or fractured tooth

Strong as they are, teeth can be broken in slips and falls, motor vehicle accidents, assaults and sports injuries. If a tooth is merely cracked or chipped, that damage can often be repaired with a crown or dental bonding. If the damage is so serious that the tooth is broken into several pieces, though, a crown may not be able to provide enough support for that tooth to continue to function. And no amount of dental bonding will be enough to put Humpty Dumpty back together again. To avoid further damage and injury, your dentist in Winnipeg will recommend the tooth be extracted and replaced.

Overcrowding in your jaw

Everyone’s jaw is not identical in size and shape. Some jaws are just too small to contain all of your natural teeth or to let them grow into their proper positions. Trying to force too many teeth into too small a space can cause many problems: a severely misaligned bite; tooth and jaw pain; tooth decay and infections; impacted teeth; and temporomandibular joint dysfunction.

Your dentist or orthodontist may recommend, based on digital images of your teeth (and your developing teeth) and jaw, that some teeth be extracted so that those serious problems can be prevented or minimized. In the same way, your dentist may recommend that wisdom teeth — those unnecessary third molars that usually appear in your late teens or early twenties — be extracted before they can cause any of these problems. After all, you don’t need them.

A severe tooth infection

Dentists can often eliminate even serious tooth infections through root canal therapy — a painless procedure that includes removing infected material from inside your tooth. In the most severe cases where root canal can not be effective or you’ve waited too long for that option, the infection can spread into your jaw and body through the blood vessels that feed your tooth and nerves. In those situations, only a tooth extraction will protect your health effectively.

Advanced periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is also referred to as gum disease. Minor gum disease in the form of gingivitis does not place teeth at risk as long as it is eliminated by thorough cleanings and a recommitment to diligent daily dental hygiene habits. However, If gingivitis progresses to periodontitis, that’s a different situation altogether. Chronic periodontitis destroys gum tissue and jaw bone matter. As those tissues and matter are destroyed, teeth become loose due to the loss of support and may fall out. Sometimes the only way to treat periodontitis effectively before the loss of multiple teeth is to extract a tooth, treat the affected gums and replace the tooth once the gums have healed.

If you’re experiencing any symptoms of any of these five situations that can warrant a tooth extraction, contact a dentist in Winnipeg as soon as possible. While they may all require a tooth extraction if left unattended for too long, early and effective treatment may be able to save your tooth and eliminate the cost and nuisance of dealing with tooth replacement options later.