No one likes to think about it but there may come a time when a tooth extraction is needed to keep your mouth and smile happy and healthy.

The very idea of a tooth extraction might sound scary and intimidating. In reality, there is nothing to fear about tooth extractions. They are actually a very common, normal procedure that orthodontists do all the time. Millions of people every year have teeth extracted and walk away from the experience feeling much, much better after.

There are plenty of reasons why you might need a tooth extraction. Some of the most common causes are things like overbites, underbites, misalignments, health concerns, and so much more. Whether you are visiting an adolescent orthodontist or are older and receiving adult braces, there may be a chance that your doctor decides to perform a tooth extraction. There is nothing to fear! In fact, having teeth extracted is something to be thankful for because the end results will make you feel and look so much better.

What is Tooth Extraction?

A tooth extraction is a simple, common procedure in which an orthodontist or oral health professional pulls out troubled teeth directly from the root of the mouth. While that might sound quite painful, you should rest assured that you will be given proper sedation when you are having your tooth extracted. You might receive a local sedative if the extraction is minor or something more intense if the extraction is larger.

Some extractions are just one tooth while others might be three or four or even more. Regardless of the size of the extraction, it is important to know what will happen during the procedure and also why it needs to be done in the first place. There are actually many reasons why you might need your teeth extracted. Here are some of the most common causes.

Trauma

What is trauma? It is essentially any sort of incident or accident that can cause serious injury to your mouth.

You or someone you know have unfortunately had to deal with oral health trauma at one point. If you’ve played baseball, perhaps you were hit in the mouth with a ball. If you had brothers or sisters, one of them might have accidentally hit you in the mouth. Perhaps a serious fall was the basis for your trauma. Regardless of the cause, the results are sadly usually the same: damage to your mouth and teeth.

Broken teeth, chipped teeth, missing teeth – all of those can be the result of trauma to the mouth. When that happens, an orthodontist might need to extract teeth if any are too damaged to be saved. If teeth aren’t extracted after trauma, future teeth might not grow in straight and correctly. That is why extraction is such an important option when serious trauma occurs.

If the extraction doesn’t happen, there will be more problems in the future. If the mouth is tended to and the recovery process doesn’t happen properly, this might lead to infection or other procedures like root canals or a major operation.

Overcrowding

Overcrowding is a major and common thing that happens in many people’s mouths. It’s simple enough: it is when teeth grow in closer than they should. This can be visually unappealing and many people don’t like the look of it, especially when it’s their smile. However, overcrowding can also lead to future problems. Other teeth that try to grow in won’t do so correctly and it can be uncomfortable and even dangerous.

Tooth extraction is a good route to take when you have overcrowding in your mouth. Removing the overcrowded teeth will free up space and allow the other teeth to spread out as they need to. It will keep your teeth straight and will feel much more comfortable too.

Gum Disease

Periodontal and gum disease is caused by the build-up of plaque and tartar on the teeth. Gingivitis and periodontitis are two of the most common types of gum disease.

If gum disease is left unchecked – or is particularly bad – it might lead to teeth extractions. This will be done to preserve the smile and keep it as intact as possible and to prevent further gum disease and damage.

Tooth Decay

When too much tartar and plaque build up over time in your mouth and on your teeth, it might lead to tooth decay. Decay is as bad as it sounds and needs to be addressed as soon as possible. Decay will eat away at the enamel of the teeth and will make them weaker and brittle. This can obviously lead to serious problems and might even cause teeth to chip, break, or fall out.

Tooth decay is very bad and very serious and needs to be treated very quickly. If the situation gets even worse, it will lead to intense pain, redness, swelling, and other health issues. If it gets that far, the tooth might need to be removed. Tooth extraction in this case is important because it will prevent further decay and will maintain the smile as best as possible. Obviously no one wants it to go this far and for tooth decay to be this bad but if it happens, an extraction might be the only way to stop the damage in its tracks.

Impaction

Teeth don’t always grow correctly and they don’t always come in in the right way. Tooth impaction is a prime example of this. Tooth impaction happens when the growth of one tooth pushes into and against another. When this happens, the teeth are susceptible to infections and pain. Infections in the mouth are no joke.

Many people experience tooth impaction. In fact, the wisdom tooth is a common culprit and you have probably met many people who have their wisdom teeth extracted because of impaction. As you have likely heard, it’s an easy procedure and leads to a much healthier, happier mouth.

In fact, impaction is probably the most common cause for tooth extraction. It happens all the time and has become a painless, easy experience that can be done within just a couple hours.

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