Improving Oral Health With Tooth Extraction
Dental damage poses a risk to oral health, but sometimes a tooth may be too damaged to repair with restorative dental treatments. In such cases, tooth extraction may be the best option to improve oral health.
Tooth extraction is a relatively simple procedure that many patients find surprisingly painless. In fact, tooth extraction actually provides relief from dental pain, along with many other oral health benefits.
For answers to your questions about tooth extraction for improved oral health, we welcome you to contact Kansas City, MO, dentist Dr. John Goodman. In the meantime, let’s take a quick look at tooth extraction and its importance to oral health.
The Oral Health Risks of Damaged Teeth
Damaged teeth can harm oral health in many ways and should be treated as soon as possible. Broken and decayed teeth can make daily activities like eating painful and difficult, but they can also lead to other health problems.
If left untreated, decayed or broken teeth can become infected. When infections reach the inner structures of the teeth, including the pulp tissues, nerves, and blood vessels that nourish the teeth, it can cause extreme pain, facial swelling, and lead to tooth death.
Without treatment, dental infections can spread to other parts of the body, posing not just a risk to oral health but also to general health.
When Is Tooth Extraction Necessary?
Tooth extraction may be necessary when damage is too extensive to repair with more conservative dental treatments like dental fillings, porcelain veneers, or dental crowns.
Some reasons a tooth may need to be extracted to improve oral health include:
- Extensive decay: When a tooth is severely decayed, there may not be enough dental structure left to support a dental filling or other restorative treatment. In such cases, tooth extraction is necessary.
- Dental fractures: As with extensive decay, teeth with significant fractures may not be strong enough or have enough dental structure to support a restoration.
- Abscesses: Abscesses are infections that form around the roots of damaged teeth, sometimes spreading into the gums. When abscesses are severe, affected teeth might need to be extracted to treat the infection.
What Are the Oral Health Benefits of Tooth Extraction?
Teeth that are too damaged to be restored at our Kansas City practice are best treated with extraction in order to improve oral health. There are many oral health benefits to removing severely damaged teeth, such as:
- Preventing further damage: Removing damaged teeth helps stop infections and prevent their spread.
- Opening the door to restorative treatments: Once damaged teeth are removed, different treatment options for restoring the smile become available. For example, extracted teeth may be replaced with a dental bridge or dental implant.
- Improving comfort and dental function: Damaged teeth can cause pain and make eating a challenge. Extracting damaged teeth helps alleviate dental pain, improving oral comfort and dental function.
Schedule an Appointment
If you are suffering from dental damage, treatment from Dr. Goodman can help. Please call our Kansas City practice at (816) 842-8585 to schedule an appointment.