Dental extractions are a dreaded procedure for most patients. The idea of having teeth manually removed by the dentist may seem scary. However, there are many situations in which Abington, PA area patients may need to have one or more teeth extracted. At McDowell Dental Group, Drs. Gary and Ashley McDowell work routinely with patients to help them decide if a dental extraction is right for them. Below are some of the many reasons why a tooth (or teeth) might need to be removed:
- Preparation for orthodontic work. When patients have overcrowding in their smile, they may need orthodontic work to straighten the teeth. Overcrowding can often be resolved before treatment with the safe removal of adult teeth.
- Preparation for dentures. Patients with extensive damage to their teeth may find that they have few healthy teeth to maintain the appearance and function of their smile. If a patient is having full dentures fabricated, the dentist may remove the existing teeth to prepare for these new prosthetics.
- Make room for adult teeth. While most children will have their baby teeth fall out on their own as the adult teeth push through, some baby teeth fail to come out. A dentist may have these teeth manually extracted if the adult tooth underneath has become impacted or doesn’t have room to push through the gumline.
- Damaged teeth. A tooth that has had an extensive injury or experienced trauma that impacts its structure and function may need to be removed if there are no options available to repair the tooth.
- Failed root canal therapy. Root canals are special dental procedures during which a dentist will remove the inner portion of a tooth to deaden it. However, if the treatment doesn’t work, the only other alternative is permanent extraction of the tooth. This also happens if a tooth has a cavity too large to properly repair it to function as needed.
Call McDowell Dental Group today
Abington, PA area patients who are interested in comprehensive dental care solutions are encouraged to book an appointment at our practice to discuss their needs. Call our front office team at (215) 885-0555 and request a time that works for you to learn more about general, cosmetic, and restorative dentistry solutions. Our facility, located at 1047 Old York Road, is available for new patients and families.
