Extracting Teeth to Restore Smiles


Before the art of dental restoration became as advanced as it is today, extracting teeth was a much more common solution to dealing with tooth problems. Today, however, you have a wide range of options for addressing several types of concerns with your teeth, including fillings to treat tooth decay and dental crowns to protect and fortify damaged teeth. However, there are still times when extracting a tooth is the only way to remove a serious threat to your smile and restore your good oral health.

When Is Tooth Extraction Necessary?

Extracting a tooth may be simple and require little more than grasping and gently removing it from its socket. In some cases, tooth extraction may be more complex and require minor oral surgery to ensure the tooth’s safe and complete removal. There are several reasons why we may recommend extracting a tooth, some of which may include:

  • Impacted wisdom tooth – If a wisdom tooth, or third molar, becomes impacted within your jawbone before it has a chance to erupt, then surgically extracting it will be the only way to alleviate the discomfort. It will also help prevent extensive damage to your jawbone structure and surrounding teeth.
  • Severely damaged tooth – If a tooth is too severely damaged to be restored with a dental crown, then it will pose a significant threat to your oral health the longer it remains in place. To restore your smile, we may recommend extracting the tooth and replacing it with a dental implant and crown.
  • A fractured or broken tooth root – The root of your tooth rests within your jawbone, and if it fractures or breaks, there may be no solution for restoring it. To prevent the break from growing worse or causing problems with your surrounding oral tissues and structures, extracting and replacing the tooth may be the best option.

Find out if your tooth needs to be extracted

Extracting a tooth may be the best way to avoid more serious oral health issues and replace the tooth with a lifelike restoration. To find out if you should extract one or more teeth to restore your smile, schedule a consultation by calling Dimples Family Dentistry in Norwalk, IA, today at (515) 256-1176.