For many patients who need to replace one or more teeth, the reason is because they’ve had a tooth extracted. When it becomes necessary, extracting a tooth can make way for your oral health specialist to replace it with a more functional prosthesis, such as a dental implant. At our Rohnert Park, CA, oral surgery office, we’ll only recommend extracting a tooth if it can’t be saved. In many cases, we also recommend replacing it as soon as possible to limit the negative effects that the missing tooth can have on your oral health.
Why is it really necessary?
There are many potential reasons for needing tooth extraction, and not all of them require replacing the tooth afterward. For instance, if you have to remove an impacted wisdom tooth (third molar), then it’s because the tooth’s presence itself is a threat. You won’t have to replace the wisdom tooth afterward to restore your bite’s function and good oral health. More vital teeth may need to be extracted if they become severely infected with internal decay, or extremely damaged beyond repair (such as a fractured tooth root). If so, then it may have a direct impact on your bite’s function, and replacing the tooth could be the only way to prevent that impact.
Do you have any other options?
Because of the potential impacts that losing a tooth can have, tooth extraction isn’t a typical option for addressing any dental disease or condition. On the contrary, extracting a tooth should only be recommended when there is no other option for saving the tooth and the rest of your oral health. If you neglect to seek treatment, then the cause behind your need for tooth extraction will only grow worse. Depending on that cause, that may include more severe damage to the tissues surrounding the tooth in question, or heightened risks of developing oral health complications.
What can you expect for the rest of your smile?
While it’s a last-resort effort, there are many benefits to extracting a tooth when necessary. For example, the threat to the rest of your smile will significantly mitigated, which means you can enjoy improved long-term oral health and lower chances of needing more extensive restoration later. By replacing the extracted tooth with a dental implant, you can fully restore your bite’s function, including the preservation of your jawbone structure.
Learn if tooth extraction is right for you
Tooth extraction is one of the common reasons for needing to replace a tooth, and in many cases, we can plan your extraction and replacement together. For more information, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.