The good news for most patients who develop tooth decay, or experience a broken or fractured tooth, is that there’s often a way to successfully save the tooth with a custom-designed restoration. However, tooth damage, decay, and other compromising situations can sometimes be more severe than a custom restoration can address. To avoid allowing the tooth to continue threatening your oral health, tooth extraction might be an appropriate option. Today, we examine a few conditions that might warrant tooth extraction, and why removing the tooth could be a benefit to your smile and oral health.

When a tooth becomes impacted

Tooth impaction isn’t as common as many other tooth concerns, such as tooth decay or structural damage. However, it can occur more often than you might realize, most often with the development of your wisdom teeth (or third molars). Wisdom tooth impaction occurs when there isn’t enough room at the ends of your dental ridge to fully accommodate the growth and development of your third molars. As they become obstructed in their growth, they can lead to a wide range of problems with your other teeth, oral structures, and general oral health. Extracting impacted wisdom teeth is typically the only solution for relieving the pressure and avoiding further problems due to the impaction.

A break or fracture can’t be fixed

Fractured, worn-down, or broken teeth are often fixable with the right custom dental restoration. For example, even a severely damaged tooth may regain is strength, integrity, and ability to function properly with the help of a custom-made dental crown. However, there are levels of tooth damage that may not be fixable, and the tooth structure might be so compromised that it poses a threat to your surrounding oral tissues and other teeth. In severe cases, removing the damaged tooth and replacing it with a lifelike, custom-made prosthesis may be the best solution for restoring your overall smile and bite function.

When most of a tooth’s structure has decayed

Tooth decay is another common condition that’s most often addressed successfully before it’s allowed to become too severe. For example, conservative treatments like a tooth-colored filling or root canal therapy can address tooth decay of varying levels with highly satisfactory results. Yet, tooth decay is a progressive condition, and when it’s reached its severe stages, it can erode a majority of your healthy, natural tooth structure. If this occurs, then extracting the tooth might be the only way to remove the threat of the infection, and replacing it could be essential in restoring your good oral health.

Learn if your tooth needs extraction

Tooth extraction might be the best solution for protecting your oral health from certain severely compromised teeth. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling the Dental Centre of Conroe in Conroe, TX, today at (936) 441-4600. We serve patients from Conroe and all neighboring communities.