Your dentist wants you to maintain a mouth full of healthy, functional teeth. That’s why, even if one of your pearly whites gets damaged or suffers from significant decay, your dental care professional will do everything in their power to restore its strength and function. Unfortunately, though, sometimes a tooth extraction in Ponte Vedra Beach becomes necessary. Let’s talk about some of the circumstances that may mean you have to say goodbye to one of your pearly whites.
Severe Damage or Decay
Oftentimes, a root canal combined with a crown will be able to save a tooth that has been broken, badly infected or decayed. However, if your dentist in Ponte Vedra Beach decides that the poor little chomper is beyond saving, it may need to be extracted.
Sometimes, cost also comes into play. Your dentist will try to work with your insurance or, if you don’t have insurance, offer you a payment plan for restoring a tooth rather than taking it out. It’s always best to keep a tooth if at all possible, so we encourage you to weigh the long-term value of keeping your tooth against the short-term financial benefits of an extraction. However, some patients do decide to have an extraction for monetary reasons.
Problems With the Wisdom Teeth
For some people, wisdom teeth (the third molars at the back of the mouth) are a perfectly functional part of their smile. For others, though, these teeth cause some major issues. They may become impacted, erupting only partway out of the gums. This can lead to an increased risk of infection as well as damage to your other teeth.
Many patients choose to have their wisdom teeth removed even if they aren’t causing any problems, while others wait to find out for sure if their third molars are going to make trouble.
Overcrowding
Some people have extra teeth, or their mouth is too small to support a full set of pearly whites. In other cases, severe misalignment leads to overcrowding. When all your teeth don’t fit well in your mouth, they can cause damage to one another and make it difficult for you to maintain good oral hygiene. Your dentist may recommend that you get an orthodontic treatment. First, though, they may have to remove one or two teeth in order to make room for your braces to do their work.
Gum Disease
Gum disease is a common issue, affecting millions of adults across the nation. In rare cases, the condition advances to the point where it eats away at the jawbone, taking away the support for your teeth. As a result, your teeth may become loose, leading to the need for an extraction.
A tooth extraction in Ponte Vedra Beach is never a pleasant prospect, but sometimes it’s necessary Your dentist will do their best to make the process as painless as possible for you and get you back on the road to having a healthy smile.
About Our Practice
Drs. Kristopher Harth and Eric Townsend are proud to serve the Ponte Vedra Beach community. They provide compassionate, expert care. If you suspect you may need a tooth extraction, please contact our office at 281-239-7200.