When Does a Tooth Need to Be Pulled?

At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, we take great pride in ensuring the overall oral health of all of our patients. In most cases, that means helping our patients by cleaning their teeth, removing tooth decay, and restoring damaged teeth with fillings or crowns. But sometimes it’s actually necessary to remove a tooth for your overall oral health.

Hearing that you need to have a tooth removed can be a bit intimidating. Rest assured if they are other options for saving the tooth, such as a root canal, we will perform them. But sometimes restorative procedures are not sufficient to save your tooth. But we don’t want our patients to feel worried or anxious about the idea of having a tooth removed.

So in today’s post of our dental health blog, we’re going to detail some of the reasons why you may need to have a tooth removed. We will also discuss what you can expect during an extraction appointment if you are having a tooth removed.

The most common reason we have to remove is because the tooth has been severely injured or suffered trauma from a blow. Accidental falls, car accidents, and blows to the face can all break teeth. Sometimes teeth break into multiple pieces and cannot be fixed.

Decay is another common reason why we may need to remove a tooth. If at all possible, we prefer to restore a decayed tooth with a filling or dental crown. But if the root of your tooth has become decayed, we may have no choice but to remove the tooth.

Lastly, we may need to remove a tooth if the tooth is crowding other teeth out of position. This generally comes up before a patient undergoes orthodontic treatment. Sometimes a tooth is so badly positioned that it makes straightening your other teeth impossible.

If you are experiencing any of the things listed above, you should make an appointment at 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX. We will evaluate your teeth and help determine the best solution for your oral health. We will physically inspect your teeth as well as take a series of digital x-rays. These images allows us to plan for your oral care, including an extraction if necessary.

Before we extract a tooth, we will numb your mouth using a local anesthesia. This helps ensure a quick and painless extraction process. You can also listen to music or even watch your favorite television program during your extraction. If you have a dental phobia or anxiety, we also offer sedation dentistry options.

You may have some minor soreness following your extraction. This minor discomfort should only last a day or so; your doctor may prescribe you painkillers for your recovery. We will also provide you with detailed aftercare instructions to insure your mouth health efficiently. We’ll also schedule a follow-up appointment, to make sure you have healed from the extraction and your remaining teeth are in good health.

After you’ve had a tooth removed, we may recommend having the missing tooth restored. We’ll be happy to discuss your options for restorations including dental implant. (A dental implant is rod which acts an artificial tooth root to support a replacement tooth.)

But the best way to deal with having a tooth extracted, is to prevent it from happening in the first place. Regular check-ups and dental cleanings can help prevent decay and keep your teeth healthy. Even if its been awhile since you visited a dentist, we encourage you to schedule an appointment. At 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX, we offer a worry-free and lecture-free zone. We simply want our patients to have a healthy smile which they can feel confident about.

Make an Appointment

Do you suspect that you have a tooth which may be damaged or decayed? Then schedule an appointment at 1st In Smiles in Plano, TX. We will evaluate your oral health and provide you with recommendations for your tooth. If you need to have the tooth removed, we can do so in a convenient and pain-free manner. Schedule an appointment by calling 972-380-8105.