One of the fears associated with going to the dentist is that the dentist will end up pulling one or more teeth. This fear often will prevent us from going to the dentist for our regular check ups and cleanings necessary for good oral hygiene. The truth is that dental extractions are just another part of good oral hygiene and are quite uncommon compared to the number of simple examinations that we should be exposed to.
Although there are many treatments available to save a tooth, extraction is sometimes the only option.
Here are some of the reasons when extraction is necessary:
- Sometimes there’s too much damage for the tooth to be repaired.
- Some people have extra teeth that block other teeth from coming in.
- People getting braces may need teeth extracted to create room for the teeth that are being moved into place.
- Wisdom teeth, also called third molars, are often extracted either before or after they come in.