While our goal is to preserve natural teeth, occasionally improving oral health means removing a tooth. We strive to ensure patients enjoy a comfortable experience during the procedure. But when do smiles benefit from having a tooth removed? When should patients in Gary, IN, see their dentist to discuss restorative dentistry and dental extractions?

Addressing Misalignment

Occasionally, a crowded smile will need to have a tooth removed prior to orthodontic treatment. Removing a tooth in some cases provides breathing room for the braces or aligners to straighten out the smile and correct misalignment offering a healthier and more attractive smile.

Wisdom Teeth and Dental Infection

For many of us, our late teens and early 20s mean the risk of wisdom tooth eruption. Up to four additional molars could arrive, often leading to very negative impacts on our oral health. For example, the teeth may only partially erupt, a complication that could lead to pain, infection, misalignment, and damaged teeth. In order to preserve your smile’s health and alignment, the dentist may suggest extracting these teeth before they even erupt, protecting your smile’s health.

Now, let’s talk about dental infection. In many cases, we treat an infected tooth with a root canal procedure, which removes the infected tissue and preserves the tooth. But in severe cases, we may not be able to save the tooth and removing the tooth may be crucial for preventing the spread of infection to surrounding teeth or into the jawbone tissue. Afterward, we can discuss possible replacement options.

Damaged Smiles and Gum Disease

While we often repair cracked or chipped teeth with dental crowns or veneers, occasionally a patient may sustain serious damage. The damage could in fact require the tooth to be removed and replaced with a bridge or dental implant. Same if the tooth becomes loose due to the impact of periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease. We may remove the tooth and then administer treatment to manage your gum disease, prior to discussing possible replacement options.

Ensuring a Comfortable Treatment

To make sure our patients enjoy a comfortable experience, we may suggest dental sedation, which helps patients undergoing oral surgery enter a calm and relaxed state. Afterward, we will discuss how to care for your smile as the extraction site heals. If you have any questions or concerns, then please contact our team today.

Do You Have Questions About Extraction?

If you have a damaged tooth, or wisdom teeth soon to erupt, then let us know. To schedule an appointment to discuss dental extraction or oral surgery, contact Healthy Smiles in Gary, IN, by calling 219-938-2637, or by emailing our office at info@healthysmilesnwi.com. We also proudly serve the residents of Gary, Miller, Miller Beach, and all surrounding communities.