What Is a Dental Extraction?
While a filling, root canal, or crown can sometimes fix a broken or decaying tooth, there are times when there is too much damage for one of these methods to be effective. The following are some of the most common reasons for a tooth extraction:
- Infection caused by a tooth decay that is not treatable through root canal therapy
- Crowding due to permanent teeth growing in before baby teeth fall out
- Tooth loosening caused by periodontal disease
After a thorough oral examination, including X-rays, your dentist may determine that the best way to deal with a broken or decaying tooth is to remove it. If the dentist feels an extraction is the best course of action, then they will formulate a plan for the tooth’s removal and discuss your options for the tooth’s replacement. The majority of tooth extractions can be performed in one surgical visit.
If an extraction is deemed to be difficult, multiple extractions are required, or you have a significant medical condition, then the dentist may elect to refer you to an oral and maxillofacial surgeon like Dr. Christopher McGrath at Geelong Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery.