4 Reasons to Remove a Tooth

When it comes to your smile, Dunwoody Family & Cosmetic Dentistry wants to do everything possible to help you preserve your natural teeth. Unfortunately, there are times when removing a tooth is in the best interest of your oral health. Even though a dental extraction may seem like the best (and quickest) solution, that’s not always the case. However, here are four scenarios where removing a tooth is typically the smartest decision:

#1 Your Tooth is Non-Restorable

At a certain point, damaged, broken, or decayed teeth no longer have enough healthy structure left to work with. Placing large fillings or crowns over a weak, compromised tooth could potentially result in it breaking apart even further.

#2 You Have Aggressive Periodontal Disease

When severe bone and gum deterioration occurs, there is nothing left to hold the tooth in place. Removing it may be the first step toward full mouth rehabilitation with implants or dentures.

#3 The Tooth is Damaging Other Teeth

Sometimes teeth cause more harm than good. A perfect example is an impacted wisdom tooth, wedged against its neighbor. The adjacent tooth may develop an infection unless the wisdom tooth is removed.

#4 The Tooth is Dying

Teeth can die because of previous traumatic injuries or abscessed nerves. Sometimes the only symptom is a dark void inside of the tooth, which is visible on your x-ray. If a root canal is not an option, then an extraction is the next step.

Call Dunwoody Family & Cosmetic Dentistry

If you’re debating having a tooth removed, contact our family dental office to reserve an exam. We’ll help you make an educated choice about your smile’s future.