Your dentist’s primary responsibility is to protect your oral health. Fulfilling this duty involves performing routine cleanings and checkups and giving you advice on how to take care of your teeth and gums while you’re at home. Sometimes, though, your dentist may have to take more extreme measures to make sure your smile stays as healthy as possible. Let’s discuss some of the common reasons why a patient might need a tooth extraction in Harrisonburg.
Severe Damage or Decay
It’s often possible for a dentist to save a badly damaged or decayed tooth via a root canal and a crown. However, sometimes the damage is so severe that no amount of dental work will be able to provide an adequate fix. It’s best to extract the tooth so you can find relief from your pain.
Overcrowding
Extra teeth, severe misalignment, or a small mouth can all lead to overcrowding, which can cause premature damage to the teeth as well as malocclusion (a bad bite). Orthodontic treatment is often able to provide relief from overcrowding, but the braces may not be able to do their job unless a tooth or two gets extracted first.
Gum Disease
Gum disease afflicts millions of people across the United States. For most, the condition is mild, and it is possible to stop its progress before it poses a serious threat to one’s oral health. However, in some cases, gum disease advances to the point where it causes significant bone loss in the jaw, thereby compromising the teeth’s base of support. When this happens, the teeth may become loose and need to be extracted.
Smile Restoration
If you’ve experienced severe dental problems in the past, you may already be missing a few teeth. A full or partial denture may be the solution you need to renew your smile, but your dentist might first recommend that you have a tooth or two extracted in order to make room for your prosthesis.
In other cases, you may choose to receive an implant to restore your smile’s health and beauty, in which case an extraction may be necessary to make way for your new tooth (or teeth).
What to Expect During and After a Tooth Extraction
Your dentist in Harrisonburg will do their best to make sure that you are comfortable during the extraction; you shouldn’t feel anything. You may have to rest at home for a day or two afterward, but you should start to feel much better within a week or so. Your dentist will give you detailed instructions on how to care for the extraction site so your recovery goes as smoothly as possible.
Do you suspect you need to have a tooth pulled? Your dentist would be happy to evaluate the situation and design a treatment plan to get your oral health back on track.
About the Dentist
Dr. Monisha Khanna is proud to serve alongside the other dentists in our practice to help patients enjoy the confidence and comfort that come with good oral health. She is always looking to refine her skills and build trusting relationships with her patients. If you would like to talk to her about your dental health concerns, please contact our office at 540-432-6616.