When Are Tooth Extractions Required?
Taking care of your mouth is critical because it becomes even harder as we age. Periodontitis is a serious oral health problem that deteriorates the jawbone, gums, and teeth. The rates of periodontitis skyrocket in the elderly. This may be, in part, due to the fact that they are taking medications that can dry out their mouths. Because saliva plays such a pivotal role in washing away the biofilm that constantly grows and sticks on teeth, it is easy to see how dry-mouth symptoms can accelerate the growth and decay process.
Nevertheless, teeth do not rot solely from dry mouth. They can also rot out from poor oral hygiene, poor diet, or even impacted teeth. And even if teeth are merely impacted but not rotted out yet, they can cause significant discomfort and may require extraction.
An extraction is the best way to deal with teeth that simply shouldn’t be there or that are so badly rotted out that it doesn’t make sense to salvage them. However, in most cases, you will want to try everything possible to save your teeth for many reasons.
The first reason is that it becomes more difficult to chew food when you have any teeth missing. If you have to put the pressure on fewer teeth, they can get sore and can even fracture or break.
The second reason is that bone growth is stimulated by the teeth. Once you lose teeth, you will find that the jawbone begins to sink and can lose 20 percent or more of its original size in just the first year alone.
Although dental implants are a solution, patients need good bone density and should have them replaced as soon as possible to reduce the erosion of bone tissue. Nevertheless, they are only a second-rate solution to your original teeth.
How Are Tooth Extractions Performed?
A tooth extraction procedure may be performed using sedation and a local or general anesthetic. Sedation and general anesthesia is usually required when multiple teeth are being extracted at once from different areas of the mouth. The procedure can take as few as 30 minutes or hours. It all depends on the volume of teeth being extracted and any complications that the dentist may encounter.
Our Mesa, AZ dentist will take X-rays to determine how deep the roots are and how they are situated. Then, it is simply a matter of cutting around the tooth or remnants of it to make pulling it easy. Our dentist may then stitch the incision shut or cover it with gauze to prevent a dry socket.
If you are in Mesa, AZ and need a tooth extracted call our office to schedule an appointment today.