Nobody likes to hear that they’ll need to get a tooth extracted. However, there are several reasons to do so:

• Tooth decay
• Gum disease
• Trauma
• Overcrowding
• Impacted tooth (when the tooth doesn’t have any room or grows at an odd angle)
• Wisdom teeth are causing oral health issues
• Fractured tooth
• Removing a baby tooth that hasn’t developed timely
• Getting ready to wear braces
• Tooth infection due to an underlying illness, such as cancer or uncontrolled diabetes

Extracting a damaged tooth is crucial to prevent complications from occurring. Some of the most critical ones include:

Trauma or damage to the teeth can lead to infection if you don’t receive immediate treatment. Nerves in the pulp can become infected when bacteria penetrates the tooth’s enamel. And while tooth extraction is often the result, it’s important to note that it’s only used as a last resort. Generally speaking, your dentist will attempt to save the teeth by other means, such as a root canal prior to deciding whether the tooth should be removed.

Also known as periodontal disease, gum disease is one of the leading causes of teeth loss. This is due to the bones and tissue around the teeth becoming infected, loosening, and shifting the teeth — often requiring extraction.

Chronic immunodeficiency diseases like diabetes, cancer, AIDS, and hepatitis can weaken the natural functions of your immune system. People with an immunodeficiency disorder are prone to oral infection, often suffering from mouth sores, and are also more susceptible to cavities.

If you’re undergoing chemotherapy, we offer preventive measures to help cope and compensate for the risk of dry mouth. Our therapies can help keep you on track to healing.

It is common practice to extract teeth to relieve crowding for orthodontic purposes. When there isn’t enough space to align the teeth, removing teeth can create the necessary space to allow existing teeth to be aligned. The need for extractions in combination with orthodontic treatment is based on every individual’s unique needs.

We offer free consults and second opinions to all of our clients because we truly care about our patients getting the best care possible.