Removing A Tooth Can Improve Your Health

Welcome to the Butte Family Dental blog! We are your trusted source for comprehensive dentistry solutions in Butte, Montana.

As such, we want to help you keep your mouth healthy, and hold onto your lovely smile. But, in some cases, your situation can reach a point where extraction makes the most sense for getting your oral health back on track.

That’s why, today, we wanted to look at why we would ever deem tooth removal a necessity.

Wisdom Teeth

When, or if, your wisdom teeth decide to emerge, they can pose problems for your existing teeth. And that’s why extracting wisdom teeth is a common practice. They don’t serve much of a purpose anyway. So, you won’t miss them!

Extreme Cavities

This is not our normal way of dealing with cavities, we assure you, but when there is extreme damage or decay, the treatment possibilities narrow. Still, the intention is always to preserve your natural teeth when we can.

That is not always possible, however. And in situations where the tooth is too far gone to be saved by a dental filling, root canal therapy, or endodontic treatment, we will likely suggest an extraction.

Advanced Gum Disease

When gum disease has progressed into full-blown periodontal disease, it will ravage your gums and surrounding bone, loosening up your teeth.

Affected teeth may simply have become too loose to be saved through traditional gum disease treatment procedures. Unfortunately, in these times, your tooth will need to be taken out and replaced artificially. Did you know that disease is behind most of the tooth loss among adults in the United States? After your mouth, it also goes after your body’s other major systems, creating big trouble for you.

Preparing For Dentures

Complete dentures or overdentures (dentures supported by dental implants) span the entire arch, so tooth extraction may be necessary if you are getting all of your teeth replaced. This is what it takes sometimes to improve your situation in the end.

Orthodontic Solutions

This is one that doesn’t come to mind too often. But your orthodontist may actually insist upon a tooth extraction if your mouth is overcrowded. After all, braces do require space to shift your teeth into proper alignment. When it is all said and done, braces will improve the health and appearance of your smile, boost your confidence, and more. So, an extraction is a small price to pay.

Tooth Extractions: What’s The Deal?

Here’s how it works at Butte Family Dental: First, we will numb the area where the problematic tooth is. Next, and most importantly, will make you more relaxed with dental sedation, if you’d like. We will then either pull the tooth out or surgically extract it.

Depending on your circumstances, you may require a few sutures. Gauze is applied over the wound to stop any bleeding. And after that, we will send you home with very specific instructions for aftercare to make sure you don’t have any trouble on the path to healing.

Extraction Follow Up

There will be a lot of instructions to take note of. You will be expected to obtain and consume certain prescription painkillers.

You will want to prop your head up with pillows, and apply a cold compress to the outside of your mouth to reduce pain and swelling. You will also want to avoid using a straw for drinks, and your food should be soft. It will be key to avoid any strenuous activity, at all costs.

But don’t worry, we’ll make sure you remember these things, and to follow up regularly with our Butte, MT team.

Learn More, Get Started!

If you suspect that you could benefit from an extraction, online form Butte Family Dental today! We’ll make it as pleasant and pain-free as possible!