Your dentist’s primary objective is always to save your natural teeth. However, in the most severe cases of structural damage, infection, or decay, a tooth can become compromised beyond the point of repair.
In these instances, the damaged tooth must be removed to relieve a patient’s immediate discomfort and prevent issues that may threaten their long-term oral health. Let's take a closer look at dental extractions—what they are, when they’re necessary, and their long-term benefits.
What Is a Dental Extraction?
A dental extraction is a minor surgical procedure that removes a severely damaged tooth. After sufficiently numbing the area around the tooth, a dentist or oral surgeon gently and gradually loosens the tooth in its socket in the jawbone. They do this, ensuring the patient’s comfort every step of the way until the tooth is sufficiently loose and can be smoothly removed.
When Is a Dental Extraction Necessary?
Dental extraction can become necessary due to a variety of causes. The most common include:
- Impacting of wisdom teeth (or “third molars”)
- Severe and untreated tooth decay
- Untreated dental or periodontal (gum) infection
- Impact-induced breakage
- To create the space necessary for dentures or orthodontics
The Benefits of Dental Extractions
The issues that necessitate tooth extractions may often be quite unpleasant. The good news, however, is that the procedure offers several long-term benefits beyond immediate pain relief:
- Immediate relief from severe pain — This requires no explanation. Pain is one of the main reasons people contact us for a dental emergency.
- Preventing infection — Dental extraction prevents infection from spreading to adjacent teeth or the jawbone.
- Improved dental function — Replacing a severely damaged tooth with a dental bridge or porcelain crown (on a dental implant) restores biting, chewing, and speech functions.
- Visual appeal — Extracting severely decayed or misaligned teeth helps create a more balanced and attractive smile.
- Facilitating orthodontics — Extractions help clear the space necessary in the mouth for orthodontic treatments.
- Preserving dental alignment — Sometimes, teeth cause shifting and overcrowding among remaining teeth and must be removed to maintain alignment.
Pain-Free Dental Extractions in Prairieville, LA
If you're looking for a dentist in Prairieville, LA, with extensive experience and expertise in effectively preserving patients’ smiles and bites via painless dental extraction, contact Dr. Daniel Palm and the caring and knowledgeable Palm Dental team to schedule a consultation.