After losing a tooth, the need to replace it can be a relatively obvious need. However, in some cases, your dentist or oral health specialist can determine when a tooth is going to be lost and can’t be saved. In such cases, waiting for the tooth to fall out could allow the condition that causes it to grow worse. For the sake of your oral health and restoring your overall bite function, it may be a good idea to remove and replace the tooth before it’s lost on its own.
When is it a good idea to extract a tooth?
Removing a compromised tooth is a procedure known as tooth extraction, and the specifics of the treatment can depend on several different unique factors. For example, a tooth might require extraction if it becomes so extensively damaged that even a custom-designed dental crown can’t successfully restore it. Or, if the tooth becomes internally infected and its tissues and structure become too eroded to repair. In some cases, a wisdom tooth (or third molar) can become impacted, and extracting it is the only way to stop it from causing harm to the surrounding jawbone structure.
Why you need to replace the tooth
Extracting a tooth isn’t usually recommended unless there is no other option for restoring your good oral health. This is because the loss of the tooth will still have a negative impact on your oral health, though the process can be longer-term the threat caused by the compromised tooth. If your tooth does need to be extracted, then it will be important to plan on replacing the extracted tooth as soon as possible. This will be essential to restoring your good oral health and the integrity of your smile, as well as preserving your bite’s proper balance and function.
Why a dental implant can do the most good
The point of replacing a tooth as soon as possible after it’s extracted is to minimize the impact that the tooth’s loss can have on your oral health. This impact includes several consequences that result from the loss of your tooth’s root, which is why many people can benefit more from replacing a tooth with a dental implant restoration. With a dental implant post, we can replace the root of your extracted tooth to offer your replacement crown more lifelike support. The post will also minimize the effect of losing the tooth’s root, which can include a loss of mass and density in your jawbone unless the root is replaced.
Learn if you should replace a tooth before it’s lost
When a tooth’s loss is inevitable, extracting it and replacing it with a dental implant might be the best way to restore your smile. To learn more, schedule a consultation by calling Santa Rosa Oral Surgery in Santa Rosa, CA, today at 707-545-4625.