Wisdom Teeth & Extractions
What is a Tooth Extraction?
A tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from the dental alveolus in the alveolar bone.
Extractions are usually only performed if less invasive options would be ineffective, or if the tooth is compromising the health of the rest of the mouth.
If you have a problem tooth, your dentist will examine it to determine whether an extraction will be necessary, or if less invasive measures would suffice to treat it.
Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth erupt later in life than the other teeth do, usually when one is in their late teens or early 20s.
In some cases, they don't cause any problems, but in others, they grow in the wrong positions or angles, or there simply isn't enough room for them in the mouth.
In addition, their position in the back of the mouth makes them difficult to clean, making them susceptible to decay. For these reasons, having the wisdom teeth extracted can help preserve the health of the mouth.
Damaged Teeth
Occasionally, a tooth will be too badly damaged to save.
This can happen as a result of dental decay or gum disease, or of an injury to the tooth. In these cases, the tooth must be extracted.
If you need to have a tooth extracted, it is important to get it replaced as soon as possible to avoid developing further oral health problems.
Treatments like bridges, dentures and dental implants are common tooth replacement options.