When a tooth needs help, we could repair it with a lifelike dental filling or a custom crown. But what if the issue is too severe to be addressed with a restoration? In a situation like this, we may need to actually remove a tooth. In today’s blog, Dr. Robert M. Browne talks about how and why we extract natural teeth!
The Need to Remove a Tooth
When possible, we want to repair a tooth and preserve it. But sometimes, a cavity, infection, or injury is too severe to be treated with a crown. If left in your smile, the tooth could allow infection to spread, causing painful complications and risking the loss of additional teeth. You could also have a tooth that stands in the way of orthodontic treatment, or you may need to have teeth removed to accommodate a prosthetic, such as a set of dentures. We could extract teeth to help bite balance too.
If you have wisdom teeth soon to erupt, we could take them out before this occurs, preventing the risk of painful partial eruptions (impactions), as well as infection, toothaches, and misalignment, sparing your smile.
Planning a Tooth Extraction
If you need a tooth removed, then we will take detailed digital x-rays of your bite, so we can assess the position of the tooth and plan the extraction to ensure we never make contact with nerve tissues, blood vessels, or sinus cavities. Our team will also take time to ensure you are comfortable, administering local anesthesia directly to the area, and also offering sedation to help you enter a deep state of calm and relaxation with little to no memory of the procedure at all.
When you are properly sedated and ready, we will gently remove the tooth with a pair of forceps, and then suture the area closed. For wisdom teeth, we may need to open the gums above the teeth to access them. You will receive detailed instructions and prescriptions for medications to aid in the healing process, and you may see us for a follow-up in the next day or two.
Do Teeth Get Replaced?
In many cases, the extraction of a tooth involves one that does not need to be replaced. But if you lose a tooth or injury, decay or gum disease, you may have a gap in your smile. We could help by supporting a traditional or implant bridge, or possibly partial dentures or even an individual dental implant.
Dr. Browne, DDS, Offers a Gentle Tooth Extraction
Our team wants to help protect your smile by addressing concerns with a tooth extraction when necessary. To find out more about gently removing a tooth when necessary, or to schedule an appointment, please call Dr. Robert M. Browne, D.D.S. in Prairie Village, KS at (913) 901-8585.
