Instances Warranting Dental Extraction

Advanced dental technology and implant-retained prostheses have revolutionized restorative dentistry, as patients can now enjoy a full, healthy smile more quickly and efficiently. Though losing one or more of your natural teeth is often the last thing you—or your dentist, for that matter—want to happen, sometimes it is the best solution for prioritizing your oral health overall. In today’s blog, your Dubuque, IA, oral surgeon identifies instances in which a tooth extraction may be the best treatment option for an existing condition and describes how our team can provide treatment to help.

Impacted or Troublesome Wisdom Teeth

Your wisdom teeth—also known as your third molars—are typically the last set of teeth to erupt in humans. While they used to be helpful in biting and chewing particularly fibrous foods, due to evolutionary changes in the human diet, they are nowadays more or less obsolete. As a result of this, however, they are oftentimes more trouble to keep than they are worth.

Several issues can arise with wisdom teeth, such as failing to erupt, partial eruption, and becoming impacted. All of these issues can lead to health concerns, and in many instances, dental extraction is recommended as the best course of action. Your oral surgeon will work closely with you to develop a treatment plan that best suits your needs. To learn more about this process and the benefits of wisdom tooth extraction, please do not hesitate to reach out to our team.

Structures Beyond Saving

Another instance in which it may make more sense to remove a tooth is when the tooth in question is experiencing significant infection or damage to the point it can no longer be restored. No matter what we may try, once a structure becomes infected beyond a certain extent, no amount of care will prevent a restoration from rejecting and the structure from being lost. What we can do, however, is mitigate the spread of the infection to surrounding healthy structures by removing the source of the problem. Ask our team any questions you may have and set up your next appointment for a dental assessment.

Tooth Extraction with Your Tissues and Oral Structures in Mind

We recognize that tooth loss is often less than ideal, and though extraction may be the better option, there are still consequences that accompany tooth loss. One such issue may include jawbone density loss if the missing structure is not replaced. We will work with you and, for qualifying patients, provide implant-retained solutions that restore your smile’s appearance and functional/structural health.

Ready to Schedule Your Visit?

If you have been experiencing significant tooth pain, difficulty biting or chewing, or other uncomfortable symptoms, it is important you reach out to your dentist to check out what may be wrong. Schedule your appointment with Great River Oral and Maxillofacial in Dubuque, IA, by dialing (563) 557-1440 today.