How a tooth extraction from your dentist in Richmond, VA, can help your smile

If you are nervous about losing a tooth, remember that there are some situations where tooth extraction can actually help you and your smile. Dr. Robert Bigelow of Midtown Richmond Dentistry in Richmond, VA, offers a wide range of preventive, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry options, including tooth extractions to help your smile.

So, let’s talk about when you might need to have a tooth extracted. Your dentist will do their best to save your tooth, but sometimes it’s not possible. These are a few situations when you might need to have the tooth removed:

• If your tooth is still painful, even after you have had a root canal
• If your tooth is badly damaged, and can’t be restored even with a dental crown
• If your tooth is severely decayed, and can’t be restored with dental treatment
• If your tooth is loose, because of bone loss due to periodontal disease

You and your smile may also benefit from having a tooth extracted if:

You are having orthodontic treatment; you may have too many teeth to be moved easily with orthodontics. Your dentist and orthodontist may recommend tooth extraction to give you the best outcome from your orthodontic treatment.

You have wisdom teeth that are causing you pain; when wisdom teeth erupt, they can cause pain and pressure, which can be severe. Wisdom teeth are typically removed because they aren’t a functional part of your smile. They can erupt out of position, so they don't help with chewing, or they may not erupt at all. Unerupted wisdom teeth can develop cysts around them, which can cause bone destruction.

If you do need to have one or more teeth extracted, there are many tooth replacement options available to give you back your smile. Your dentist can discuss dental implants, dental bridgework, or dental appliances with you.

To learn more about when you might need a tooth extraction and how having a tooth removed can help your smile, call Dr. Robert Bigelow of Midtown Richmond Dentistry in Richmond, VA. You can reach him in the office at (804) 741-7440, so call today!