A tooth removal – or extraction – is often seen as a last resort. However, where a tooth can’t be saved through other treatments, such as fillings, crowns or a root canal, extraction can be a positive step forward in creating a healthier environment for your remaining teeth.
When is tooth extraction necessary?
As a patient, it’s hard to know when extraction is truly necessary. You might be nervous about the procedure, or hopeful that other methods could still successfully save your tooth (and the good news is that in many circumstances, they can).
However, in some scenarios, removing a tooth is the best course of action. For instance, if a tooth is severely decayed, damaged or infected, extraction is a wiser decision for your overall oral health.
In severe cases of overcrowding, extraction also helps to create space for your remaining teeth to be properly aligned. This means that any crooked or protruding teeth can find their correct place in your mouth, making orthodontic treatments such as braces more successful.
The best advice we can give is to ask a dentist you trust. As an expert, they’ll know when treatments such as endodontics are best, and when it’s better to carry out an extraction.
What are the alternatives to removing a tooth?
Through modern dentistry, there are many ways to avoid removing a tooth – if we’re able to act early and quickly. As a simple solution, fillings can be used to repair a hole in your tooth. If your issue is more severe, we might recommend endodontic treatment – also known as a root canal – to remove bacteria from the inside of your tooth. These are treatments with a high success rate, but they’re not right for everyone.
The more severely decayed or damaged a tooth is, the greater the chance of it causing infection. If this infection has spread deep inside your tooth, damaging its root, endodontics is no longer a viable treatment. Instead, our top priority will be protecting your gums and remaining teeth. This can only be achieved by strategically removing the problem tooth.
Should wisdom teeth be removed?
Wisdom teeth are no longer essential to our health and have no real value to modern humans. For some people, they emerge as harmless vestigial teeth, which can be cared for in the same way as the rest. However, for others, the arrival of wisdom teeth can spark issues, usually because their jaw can’t comfortably accommodate them.
If there isn’t enough room in the jaw for a wisdom tooth to erupt, it can become impacted – leading to infections, swelling and discomfort. In this situation, we’ll suggest removing the unnecessary tooth to address the root cause of your problems.
What happens if I leave it?
Leaving a decayed or infected tooth is never a good course of action; so if you’re experiencing problems, do seek help. An untreated tooth of this kind essentially becomes a gateway for bacteria, which can spread to your gums, jawbone and surrounding teeth. This can result in painful abscesses and unnecessary discomfort – as well as being extremely dangerous for your health.
It may feel drastic, but extraction is often the best solution. With combined specialist expertise and years of experience, our dentists are well versed in the treatment options available – meaning we’ll only ever recommend tooth removal when we’ve carefully weighed what’s best for you.
What happens at a tooth removal?
Every tooth removal is different, so we’ll begin by taking an X-ray of your jaw to assess how easily the tooth can be extracted. If yours is a straightforward case, we can painlessly remove the tooth using local anaesthetic. If it’s a little more complex – for instance, if the tooth has intricate root formations – we’ll opt to remove the tooth through surgery.
If you need surgical treatment, you’ll be placed in the care of our Principal Dentist, Dr Jonathan Cochrane, who has a specialism in oral surgery and sedation. Through anaesthetics and numbing agents, tooth removal is now a completely pain-free procedure, so you may feel pressure, but not discomfort.
What next?
After your extraction, we’ll help promote healing by offering tips and advice, such as avoiding smoking and vigorous exercise, and eating soft foods for a few days. As the area recovers, we can consult with you to make a plan for the longer term.
If we’ve removed a wisdom tooth or we’re treating overcrowding, there’s no need to consider replacing it. But, if we’ve removed a problem tooth, we’d usually recommend filling the gap. Leaving a missing tooth can cause a “domino effect” of issues in your mouth, such as misalignment and even jawbone deterioration.
There are multiple options for replacing a missing tooth, including bridges and dentures. However, for future health and longevity, dental implants are the gold standard of care. Natural in appearance and able to mimic a real tooth, implants stimulate your jawbone and help preserve your surrounding teeth. Having a dental implant is a painless procedure – and one that we’ve seen works wonders for our patients’ self-confidence.
How do I know if I need a tooth removed?
If you think you may need an extraction, it’s best to visit your dentist for advice. The warning signs to look out for include:
- Persistent tooth pain, especially when biting or chewing.
- Signs of decay or damage, such as sensitivity, tooth colour changes, or an unpleasant taste in your mouth.
- Infections or abscesses, which may be repeated in the same tooth.
- Visibly crooked or overlapping teeth, which may indicate overcrowding.
- Pain, swelling or pressure on back teeth from wisdom tooth impaction.
If you notice any of these issues, seeking urgent dental help is important. Pain and infection is a warning sign that something isn’t right, so do listen to your body.
Ask for trusted advice
Our dental team are experts in their fields, and able to work in close collaboration to get the best results for our patients. If you’re worried about a tooth, and would like to get it checked out, start taking action by booking a free consultation.