As a general dentistry practice, our goal is to provide as many services as we can for our patients in one location.

As part of this effort, we offer oral surgery at Aberdeen Smiles. Tooth extractions are among the most common surgical procedures that we perform. And today, we want to discuss some reasons you may need a tooth removed.

We also want you to know why we recommend having your tooth removal done at our dentist office in Aberdeen, SD.

If after reading this post, you believe you or someone in your family may need a tooth taken out, call 605-277-9049 or contact us online to request an appointment.

Why Dentists Remove Teeth

Believe it or not, the last thing we want to do is pull out your teeth. Whenever possible, we would prefer to take steps to repair and restore teeth rather than removing them.

Even so, there are times when taking out a tooth is the best option for your oral health. Here are some of those times:

“Baby teeth” won’t fall out.

When a patient’s primary teeth (sometimes called “baby teeth) don’t fall out like they should, this can interfere with the eruption of their permanent teeth (“adult teeth”). This is something we can monitor more easily if you and your family make regular visits to our dentist office.

Using our digital X-rays, we can track changes in your children’s teeth. If their primary teeth are presenting problems, we’ll know.

You are preparing for orthodontic care.

The problem mentioned above could affect orthodontic care as well. It’s also possible that someone may already have his or her permanent teeth, but one or more are in positions that would make orthodontic treatment much more complicated.

In these situations, we might recommend removing the problematic teeth before starting your treatment, such as Invisalign® or braces. This can save time, and it can improve the final results you will see when your treatment is complete.

Your teeth are severely infected or damaged.

If you take action early, you may be able to avoid these particular issues. Tooth infections often start with smaller problems like tooth decay or gum disease. When left untreated, this allows bacteria to eat into a tooth. If the bacteria reaches the pulp (the soft connective tissue at the center of a tooth), then the pulp can become inflamed. Even then, a root canal often can be enough to remove the infection and save the tooth.

After certain medical procedures, some patients take medicines that can weaken their immune systems. This can increase the risk of infected teeth. For this reason, please let us know which medicines you are taking.

Accidents can damage your teeth as well. Many times broken or cracked teeth can be fixed with a dental crown. But some accidents are worse than others, and it is possible for a tooth to be so damaged that it can’t be saved.

Depending on the severity of an infection or the damage from an accident, we may suggest removing and replacing a particular tooth or teeth.

Your teeth are impacted.

An impacted tooth is one that is not able to erupt correctly, often due to crowding. This can happen to any tooth, but it may be most common with wisdom teeth.

Many people simply do not have mouths that are large enough for wisdom teeth to come in like they should. If those teeth become impacted, they can increase your risk for tooth decay and gum disease in the back of your mouth. They can push your teeth together and change the alignment of your smile, and they can be painful.

If we see that your wisdom teeth are likely to cause those kinds of problems, we will suggest extracting them instead.

Save Time By Coming To Us

If you do need a tooth extracted, where should you go?

We suggest visiting our dentist office in Aberdeen, SD. If you are one of our regular patients, our dentists will already be familiar with your specific issues and what needs to be done.

Plus, coming to Aberdeen Smiles for this procedure can save you time and travel. Rather than trying to find a specialist with an opening months from now, you can come to the same place where you and your family come for dental cleanings and exams.

Having this kind of procedure done while surrounded by friendly faces can make the experience easier for you as well.

To learn more about tooth extractions, call 605-277-9049 to contact us online.