Minimize Bone Loss Your dentist will work hard to save your natural teeth before removing or extracting them in order to preserve as much jaw bone strength as possible. The effects of jaw bone loss include sunken cheeks, misaligned bite, change in facial appearance, and difficulty chewing and talking.
If you have an injured, decayed, or loose tooth, your dentist will do everything possible to save your natural tooth. Unfortunately, it's not always possible, in which case, the tooth will need to be extracted.
When possible, you should always consider treatments to save your teeth. You may think, why not have a tooth pulled, especially if no one can see it, but you will know your tooth is missing and it will negatively impact your quality of life.
Benefits of saving a natural tooth
When possible, saving your natural teeth is the best option. While today's dental prosthetics are made to last, they simply don't have the same strength as natural teeth. Not only are natural teeth stronger, but they also offer better functionality than prosthetics or crowns.
If you want to replace the removed tooth with an implant, dental bridge or dentures, there are huge additional costs, including upkeep and future replacements. A root canal saves your natural tooth and often the existing crown.
By saving your natural tooth, you maintain the natural structure of your mouth and jaw allowing you to continue chewing normally. When you replace a tooth with an implant, sometimes the implant does not fill the space completely. Spaces between your teeth can lead to bone loss and collapse.
Even the most damaged teeth can often be saved with proper periodontal treatment in a periodontal office. Many studies have shown that teeth with advanced bone loss, even to the top of the tooth root, can be saved with advanced regeneration and instruments.
The biggest factor a dentist looks at when deciding if a tooth can be saved is how much “good” tooth structure there is left. If the tooth is broken at the gumline and has a big cavity that goes down to the bone then there is little hope that the tooth can be saved.
Damaged roots or loss of bone around the tooth are among the most common situations where a tooth can't be saved and needs to be extracted. If that's the case, we will strongly recommend removing the tooth.
What is the most difficult tooth to extract? Impacted wisdom teeth are wisdom teeth that have failed to erupt properly. They are generally considered to be the most difficult teeth to extract.
Damage below the gumline – A severe crack or split below your gumline may make it impossible for a dentist to save the tooth. Severe trauma – Fractured tooth roots or extensive damage may make it challenging for a dentist to save your tooth.
If I don't want a tooth removed, what else can be done? Two procedures that are commonly used as alternatives to tooth extraction are root canal and apicoectomy. While these procedures are similar, and both attack the cause that seems to warrant tooth extraction, a root canal is by far the more common.
Once a tooth (or teeth) goes missing, the bone is in danger of degrading and becoming weaker. This deterioration can cause healthy teeth to become loose. In some cases, they may even become fully dislodged. Once jawbone recession sets in, it is not uncommon for the gums to begin receding, as well.
Although not an immediate consequence, dentists strongly advise that letting rotten teeth go unattended can lead to blood poisoning. This happens because the rot from the teeth keeps getting deposited into the mouth, and in most cases, it's swallowed along with saliva.
The bottom line is, because extracted teeth may have tiny amounts of blood, saliva, or tissue residue on them, they are potentially infectious materials. Dental offices pay medical waste management companies like Red Bags to pick up the containers and incinerate the teeth along with other biomedical waste.
They can be placed when as much as ¾ of the natural tooth has been damaged or decayed, and can also be placed when the tooth is lacking both external and internal support. Additionally, they can also be placed in an empty socket with the use of a dental implant.
All four center teeth, known as bottom and top incisors, usually fall out in the 6-8 year range. The sharp teeth beside them (called canines or cuspids) as well as the first molars leave a little later, around 9-12 years old. The second molars are often the last to go … typically in the 10-12 year range.
If the tooth in question suffers from a dead nerve, the technical term for this is a 'pulpless tooth' or 'necrotic pulp'. If this does happen, the tooth will actually fall out by itself.
It's important to treat a dying or dead tooth as soon as possible. That's because left untreated, the bacteria from the dead tooth can spread and lead to the loss of additional teeth. It could also affect your jawbone and gums. Your dentist may treat a dead or dying tooth with a procedure known as a root canal.
If a tooth is loose because of gum disease, it might tighten back up with consistent and proper dental hygiene. A deep cleaning with a hygienist called Scaling & Root Planing is typically the best treatment option. If a tooth is loose because of an injury, it likely won't tighten back up.
Dentists will always try to save a tooth when it's possible, but teeth that are too badly damaged may need to be removed to maintain your oral health. If you notice a problem with any of your teeth, it's important to see a dentist as soon as possible.
It can be difficult to get dental implants because you may not have enough bone left in your jaw to hold the implant. So, the question remains, can you get dental implants with bone loss? Yes, you can. Most of the time, however, bone will need to be replaced before you can receive any dental work.