It is sometimes necessary for teeth to be extracted. This is often due to a condition or ailment that may not be able to be treated with restorative dentistry, such as irreversible tooth decay, pain caused by an overbite, or gum disease. Extraction will only take place after careful consideration and discussion with the patient.
One of the most common reasons for tooth extraction is when there has been irreversible damage due to tooth decay. This can occur when the tooth gets infected and is not treated appropriately over a long period of time or if the decay has become so advanced that not even dental fillings can help.
This type of tooth decay is known as dental caries, and it destroys the enamel – the hard outer coating on teeth. Sometimes, there may be extensive decay that has occurred below the gum line in a tooth, and the gum tissue may have begun to dissolve away, creating pockets for bacteria to collect in.
What it is
Teeth are made up of two parts; roots and crown.
The root is the part of your tooth which grows downward into your jawbone. It has a protective coating to prevent bacteria and decay from getting to the pulp, the nerve tissue within the tooth. The root is connected with a nerve via what’s known as a pulp canal. Any damage to this canal can lead to infection and abscesses (pockets of pus) in the root itself.
The crown is the part of your tooth that sits above the root, and it’s made up of a hard outer layer and a soft inner layer. It contains nerves as well, and it’s connected to the root by way of a tiny canal known as a canaliculus. This canal is also susceptible to infection if there is damage to it.
The structure of the teeth makes them very easy to break because they are so easily fractured. When a tooth is broken, it can be so badly damaged that it is no longer feasible to treat it with dental fillings.
A tooth’s position in the mouth means that it can also be damaged if it is knocked. In England, one in six children will suffer tooth decay by the age of fourteen and by twenty-one, half of all adults will have had at least one decayed or extracted tooth.
Benefits:
- More permanent solution than fillings
- Saved tooth pulp can be used to recreate a tooth in future
- Prevents further decay and preserves bone surrounding the tooth
- Less expensive than dental implants or bridges
- Less invasive than crowns and root canal treatment
- Caution: teeth are permanent and unless dead, can never be removed surgically
- Possible complications: bleeding, infection, cracked teeth, perforation in gums or jawbone (although rare)
- May need to be put in an electric chair
- If a tooth is extracted from the gum, lip or cheekbone, it may have to be done again later
- Dents in the face from extraction may not be covered by insurance as a cosmetic procedure.
Who is it for:
- Those with irreversible tooth decay that cannot be treated with fillings
- Those suffering from gum disease
- Those who have had a bad accident and breaks too many teeth to treat with fillings
- Those who are too frightened to go through a root canal treatment
- People who want the option of using their own tooth to replace the missing one
- Those who want to avoid part of the root canal treatment
- Those who want an implant or bridge but can’t afford it
- Those that are too young for an implant or bridge or older people with low bone density
- People that can’t have a bridge fitted because they have been treated with chemotherapy and the teeth must be kept intact are not recommended:
Conclusion
Tooth Extraction can be a safe and cost-effective way of storing tooth tissue. For example, if you need to have a tooth removed due to decay, infection or trauma. Your dentist will make the decision about which teeth to extract and there is no need to rush the process unless it is causing you pain.