We know you want to keep your natural teeth. Dentist in SW Calgary do their best to preserve your teeth whenever possible. But there are some situations when extraction is the best option.
Dentists don’t recommend that you undergo a tooth extraction lightly. Before making that recommendation, we will review your medical and dental history, and ask you about any allergies or medications that you may be taking. Just as importantly, we’ll take images of your teeth and jaw to get a complete understanding of the factors affecting your oral health.
There are three primary situations in which a tooth extraction may be the best recommendation by a dentist near you: to eliminate the risk of impaction or overcrowding, to remove a damaged tooth, or to respond effectively to infection.
Tooth extractions in SW Calgary to eliminate the risk of impaction or overcrowding
As teeth grow into your jaw, they can emerge in the wrong position or at an angle that disrupts other teeth or puts undue stress on your jaw or the alignment of your bite. Overcrowding of teeth — milk teeth, permanent teeth, or wisdom teeth — can cause alignment issues that may require orthodontic work, significant pain, and even infections. Extractions are sometimes required to fix alignment issues that have arisen. Dentists and orthodontists may also recommend that wisdom teeth be extracted as a preventative measure even before impaction has occurred.
Removing a badly damaged tooth
Teeth that have sustained damage as the result of an athletic injury or automobile accident, for example, may be too damaged to be restored. Leaving a badly damaged tooth in your jaw invites penetration into the interior of your tooth by bacteria that can produce dangerous infections and excruciating pain. A tooth that is too badly damaged to be treated effectively may need to be extracted to avoid more serious health consequences.
Responding to infection
Serious and untreated tooth decay can spread to the interior of your tooth where it will affect the pulp — the area that contains the nerve, blood vessels, and connective tissues. This is an extremely common source of toothaches and pain. While still at relatively early stages, an infected tooth can be treated and restored through root canal therapy. If the infection is too serious to be addressed by a root canal, or if root canal therapy has proven unsuccessful, extraction may be necessary to prevent infection from spreading beyond the tooth and jaw.
Tooth extractions in SW Calgary are a treatment of last resort but are sometimes the most effective and best option to ensure your long-term oral and general health. If your dentist does recommend a tooth extraction for any reason, here’s what you can expect.
What to expect during a tooth extraction
- Your mouth will be numbed so that the extraction is pain-free.
- The affected tooth will be removed either in one step or in several pieces. During this process, you may feel the sensation of pressure, but no pain.
- The gap left behind by your tooth will be packed with gauze to halt the bleeding. You may also receive stitches.
- For a single tooth, the tooth extraction process will take between 20 and 30 minutes. Your dentist will give you thorough and important instructions for preserving your blood clot and ensuring a full and complete recovery.
If you’ve sustained an injury to any tooth or teeth, or are experiencing significant and persistent tooth pain, you should seek medical attention from an emergency dentist as soon as possible. A dentist in SW Calgary will do everything possible to preserve your natural tooth, but may also recommend an extraction if that’s what is required to protect your overall oral and general health. Please contact us whenever you’re concerned about any tooth-related symptoms. We can help ease your concern and resolve those symptoms.