early orthodontic treatment

When are Tooth Extractions Necessary?

Tooth extractions are a fairly common dental procedure that’s done for a host of different reasons. Whether it’s getting rid of stubborn baby teeth or pulling an infected tooth, Dr. David Rever of Advanced Total Dental Care, a dentist in Silver Spring, MD, will make sure it’s done properly. Learn more about the reasons you may have to get a tooth extracted.

Stubborn Baby Teeth

For some children, certain baby teeth don’t come loose like they’re supposed to. Adult teeth should come through and push out baby teeth by a certain time in a child’s life in order to keep development on track. If these baby teeth are staying put, they’ll have to be removed by a pediatric dentist to make sure your smile stays on track.

Wisdom Teeth Removal

Wisdom teeth typically develop in the late teens or early twenties. In many instances, your Silver Spring, MD dentist will recommend getting them removed. They can get impacted, getting stuck at an odd angle, and causing pain. Both impacted or erupted wisdom teeth can cause complications with your smile. Usually, it’s because your jaw doesn’t have enough room for them and your teeth can become crooked and cramped, leading to orthodontic needs.

Dr. Rever will have an appointment with you to evaluate if you should get your wisdom teeth out. With our advanced dental technology, we can see how your wisdom teeth are developing. We’ll be able to tell if they’re already at an odd angle or are impacted. With these scans, Dr. Rever can determine whether or not an extraction is needed.

Infected Teeth or Teeth Suffering From Trauma

The only time we’ll recommend removing adult teeth that aren’t your wisdom teeth is in an extreme case of infection or trauma. In most cases, we’ll be able to save the tooth with more conservative methods like a root canal. We want to do this as much as possible, as saving your tooth is ideal. Extracting the tooth removes the tooth root, which can lead to jawbone deterioration.

The Process of Tooth Extraction

If Dr. Rever determines that you have a tooth that needs to be removed, he’ll schedule an extraction. Local anesthesia will be applied near the tooth and the procedure won’t begin until you’re completely numb in this area. For those that suffer from dental anxiety or for certain medical conditions, we offer conscious sedation dentistry to keep you comfortable throughout.

Then, the process will begin. Dr. Rever will remove the tooth and cover the socket with sterile gauze. If needed, a few stitches will be placed in the socket to promote healing. Depending on the tooth that was removed, you may have varying levels of discomfort in the days following the procedure. Dr. Rever will assess and may prescribe you medication to ease this.

If applicable, Dr. Rever will talk to you about your options for tooth replacement. Particularly if it’s a front tooth, you’ll want to get it replaced so that your bite and smile aren’t impacted. Missing teeth can impact self-esteem, nutrition, speech, and other aspects of your life. We offer options like dental implants to make sure you can get your smile back.