Tooth extractions in Altamonte Springs, Florida

Typically, extracting a tooth is a simple procedure that can be done right in our office. Your teeth are connected to the jaw bone with fibers called periodontal ligaments. The dentist can manipulate the tooth and sever the ligaments so the tooth can be easily extracted.

Why a Tooth May Need to be Removed

Most people contact our team at Towncare Dental of Altamonte Springs requesting to have a tooth pulled because they are experiencing pain. Common reasons for toothaches include:

Severely cracked or broken tooth

Sports injuries, biting down on a popcorn kernel, tooth decay and other problems can cause a tooth to break or crack. If the damage is minor, the dentist can simply cap the tooth with a crown.

If the crack or break has impacted the connective tissue and nerves in the center of the tooth, known as the pulp, you may need a root canal before a crown is placed on the tooth. In some cases, however, the tooth is too damaged or rotted to save and must be extracted.

Severe decay (cavity)

Your teeth are constantly under attack by bacteria that can erode the enamel of the teeth and cause dental decay. This process can lead to cavities, which are literally holes in the teeth. If the cavity is small, it can be corrected with a filling.

If the cavity is large, a crown may be required to restore the tooth. But if the tooth is severely infected tooth and you are in pain, the dentist may recommend a root canal or a tooth extraction to relieve the pain.

Baby Tooth Retained

Children eagerly look forward to losing their baby teeth starting because it means a visit from the tooth fairy. Baby teeth begin to fall out at the age of 6 or 7 when the permanent teeth begin to emerge.

Sometimes, however, a primary tooth fails to fall out on its own and must be pulled by the dentist so the permanent tooth can emerge.

Crowded Teeth / Tooth Removal for Orthodontic Treatment

Most permanent teeth emerge by the time a person is 13 years old. However, the jaw of an adolescent isn’t always large enough to accommodate the 32 permanent teeth that eventually grow in. As a result, the teeth crowd one another and shift out of position.

Your dentist may need to remove one or more of the permanent teeth to make room for the remaining teeth. This procedure is often followed by an orthodontic treatment, such as braces, to properly align the remaining teeth.

Advanced Periodontal Disease

Just as bacteria can erode the enamel of your teeth and cause cavities, it can also attack the gum tissue that holds your teeth in place. This is called periodontal disease. According to the American Dental Association, about 50 percent of Americans over the age of 30 have some stage of periodontal disease.

As the disease worsens, it causes the gum tissue to pull away from the teeth and severs the ligaments that fasten the teeth to the jaw bone. The affected tooth will either loosen and eventually fall out or require an extraction.

Impacted Wisdom Tooth

Between the ages of 17 and 25, people may notice a pain in the back of their jaw that signals the emergence of a third set of molars.

Because these molars appear at the age of maturity, they are known as wisdom teeth. In many cases, the jaw bone isn’t large enough to accommodate these new molars. They remain partially or completely beneath the gum line and become impacted.

Our dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to remove the impacted tooth. Most procedures to remove teeth are known as “simple tooth extractions” This means the dentist has determined that the shape and condition of the tooth roots will allow the tooth to be easily removed. This is usually a routine dental procedure that can be performed by a general dentist right in the comfort of our office in Altamonte Springs.

In some cases, however, our dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to perform the tooth extraction.

Wisdom Tooth Removal in Altamonte Springs

Most people have four wisdom teeth that emerge through the gum line during the late teens or early 20s. Some people experience no problem when this third set of molars begins to grow. Others experience severe pain when the wisdom teeth try to push their way through the gum line. When this occurs, we will take x-rays to determine the reason for the pain.

Common problems include:

• The jaw is too small for the wisdom teeth to properly come through the gum line
• The wisdom teeth are only partially coming through the gums
• The wisdom teeth are coming in at an angle
• The wisdom teeth are damaging the adjacent teeth
• The wisdom teeth are damaging the jaw bone
• The wisdom teeth are leading to gum infection

Our dentist may recommend you have the wisdom teeth removed to eliminate the problem or to prevent future problems. It’s easiest to have the wisdom teeth extracted before the age of 25 because the wisdom tooth roots are not fully developed yet and the jaw bone is not as dense as it will be as you grow older.

If our dentist cannot extract the offending wisdom tooth or teeth, we’ll refer you to an oral surgeon who will be able to help you.

Call Towncare Dental of Altamonte Springs Today to Schedule an Exam

If you have a toothache, call our office at (407) 278-1210 to schedule a dental exam. We’ll take x-rays, evaluate the condition of your teeth and discuss your concerns.

Our dentist will then determine whether the tooth can be restored to health or if the best option is to extract the tooth. We look forward to helping you.