Ideally, we'd love for you to be able to keep each and every one of your teeth. But, unfortunately, situations do arise where it's best to remove a tooth to preserve the health of your other teeth.
If you need a tooth extraction, you might be feeling nervous about it. We completely understand. But we also want you to know that your comfort is one of our top priorities, and we will do everything possible to make sure that your dental procedure goes smoothly with minimal discomfort.
Your dentist might recommend a tooth removal for a few different reasons, but ultimately, it comes down to what is best for your overall dental health. These are some of the most common reasons that we extract teeth:
If your tooth is broken to the point where we can't repair it with a crown or another restoration, we will need to extract it. Leaving the tooth in place will cause you a great deal of discomfort and make you feel self-conscious about your smile. Contact us if you need an emergency appointment for a broken tooth.
Most of the time, we can repair and restore a damaged tooth. However, there are some cases where a tooth with severe decay will need an emergency tooth extraction, particularly if it's affecting your other teeth.
We will try to resolve an infection with a root canal in most cases. While this procedure is usually highly successful, there are some cases where we cannot save the tooth.
If your teeth are too tightly crowded because your jaw is small or your teeth are large, we may need to remove one or more teeth to make room for the others to have space for proper alignment.
If you are already missing many teeth and need dentures, we may need to extract any remaining teeth.
We will take every measure available to us to ensure that you are comfortable during your procedure. However, after the procedure, you will probably experience some discomfort for the first day or so, and we will discuss measures to provide relief and help you heal better.
Dr. King will review proper after-care with you before your procedure. Following his instructions carefully and taking any prescribed medications exactly as directed will help minimize your risk of complications.
Some basics you should know so you can be prepared include:
If a tooth is broken or is causing you pain, please don't hesitate to give our office a call for an emergency dental appointment. We are here to help.