When you think of a tooth extraction, you may imagine a treatment to fix toothaches. This idea wouldn’t be entirely wrong; removing teeth can stop their pain. Still, the truth is that dentists must sometimes extract a tooth that doesn’t ache at all. They can have good reasons besides pain to remove pearly whites, thus ensuring your smile stays strong. As proof of that fact, here are four factors that can force a dentist to extract a pain-free tooth.
The Tooth is Decayed
While dentists strive to treat cavities with fillings or crowns, those procedures aren’t always viable. At times, a decayed tooth must be removed even when it doesn’t hurt.
The issue is that a large cavity can threaten a tooth’s structure. If left unchecked, the decay would then cause your pearly white to stop working well. It could even reach dental nerves and cause complications over time. Given such things, a dentist may need to extract the tooth to preserve your oral health.
The Tooth is Infected
Most tooth infections can be treated with root canals, but advanced ones aren’t so lucky. Severely infected teeth need removal whether they ache or not.
You see, an infected tooth won’t just fix itself. Its bacteria will spread to your jaw and other body parts if not treated, putting you at risk of sepsis. Removing the tooth before that happens is the better option, even when it doesn’t cause pain. (The severe infection may have killed the tooth’s nerves in the first place.)
The Mouth is Crowded
Though it may not hurt, a dentist must often remove a tooth if it lacks space in your mouth. Doing so can prevent a wide range of oral problems.
When a mouth becomes overcrowded, it causes all sorts of issues for you. Some more common ones include misaligned teeth, tooth impaction, oral pain, etc. Assuming you’d like to avoid those outcomes, a dentist will remove the teeth you don’t have room for.
The Gums are Diseased
While gum disease isn’t strictly a tooth problem, it can force dentists to extract certain teeth. That much applies even when said teeth don’t irritate you.
Don’t forget that your gum tissue keeps your teeth secure and stable. When it becomes diseased or infected, it’ll often erode and cause a tooth or two to come loose. You’d then need to remove the loose teeth to avoid a more painful tooth loss.
Ultimately, a dentist may extract a tooth that doesn’t ache for various reasons. Keep that in mind as you look into treatment!
About the Practice
AV Dental Associates is based in Ramsey, NJ. Led by Dr. Arash Vahid, our practice offers effective and personalized dentistry for all its patients! That means we can provide your smile with preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative work tailored to your oral needs. Whatever ails your teeth and gums, rest assured that our team will fix them right up! For more details or to book a visit, reach us at our website or by phone at (201)-962-8452.