My family's dental health is important to me. Unfortunately for me, it is not as important to my little ones. Getting my kids to brush and floss on a daily basis is almost like taking on an obstacle course. I talked to my family's dentist about different methods I could try to encourage them to brush and floss on a regular basis. Some of the tricks worked, some did not. After some experimentation and talking to other parents, I was able to come up with a lot of great tips for helping kids care for their teeth. I started this blog to help other parents get creative when it comes to their kids and dental care.
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A Guide to Creatively Handling a Child's Dental Health
Why Dental Extractions Are Sometimes Needed
Bella Snyder
Many tooth problems can be corrected with dental treatments, such as dental fillings, root canal therapy, or dental crowns. However, dental extractions are sometimes necessary if a tooth can't be saved with other treatments. If any of your teeth ever need to be pulled, dentures or dental implants may be offered as replacements for your natural teeth so that you can continue to chew food and speak without difficulty. Here are a few instances when a dental extraction might be the only choice.
Severe Infections
Tooth infections can often be treated with root canal therapy if an infection has spread into the pulp of a tooth, but dental extractions are sometimes necessary for teeth that have widespread infections. If the infection has caused a tooth root to die, pulling the tooth may be recommended to prevent further problems. A severe infection can even spread beyond a tooth and affect your overall health negatively in other ways, and pulling the tooth can keep the infection from spreading.
Impacted Teeth
A tooth becomes impacted when it can't grow beyond the gumline and remains stuck in place. Impaction can occur if a primary tooth (baby tooth) falls out later than it should or doesn't fall out at all, and this can cause the permanent tooth that's still beneath the gum's surface to become stuck in place. A cyst or tumor inside the mouth could also be blocking a tooth from emerging. An oral surgeon can extract the tooth that's beneath the gumline to stop the impaction from causing pain or other problems.
Crowding of Teeth
Your teeth may become overcrowded if they are especially large for the size of your mouth or if they are misaligned. Overcrowded teeth can cause pain and chewing and speaking difficulties. Dental extractions of some of your teeth may be needed to correct the overcrowding.
Problems with Wisdom Teeth
The wisdom teeth, which are located toward the back of your mouth, usually start to emerge in a person's teenage years and aren't always a cause for concern. If, however, your wisdom teeth overcrowd your other teeth or become impacted, they will likely need to be pulled. Wisdom tooth extraction is one of the most common oral surgeries and usually doesn't cause severe complications.
Extensive Tooth or Jawbone Damage
If any of the teeth or jawbone sections sustain major damage because of a traumatic injury or a severe infection, dental extractions may be necessary. Even if a tooth still feels like it's intact all the way, you should still consider having it pulled if a major injury or infection in the area has left you with lingering pain. Additional oral surgery may be needed if a tooth is broken and difficult to pull.
As unpleasant as dental extractions likely seem, they can help put an end to certain tooth problems for good. A dental professional who performs dental extractions can let you know what to expect during the process and answer all your other important questions.
Contact a company like Silverstone Family Dental for more information on dental extractions.
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