Tooth extractions in Naples, Florida

A tooth removal, also called a tooth extraction, is a routine and relatively simple procedure. Your teeth are attached to the jaw bone by fibers called periodontal ligaments. By expertly manipulating a tooth, the dentist can detach the ligaments and easily extract the tooth.

Why a Tooth May Need to be Removed

It’s the throbbing pain of a toothache that prompts many people to call our office seeking to have a tooth extracted. However, a toothache doesn’t necessarily mean the tooth needs to be pulled. Common reasons for tooth extractions include:

• Severely cracked or broken tooth Something as simple as biting down on a popcorn kernel can cause a tooth to break or crack. Before extracting the tooth, however, a dentist has other options. In many cases, a tooth that is cracked or broken can be fixed with a crown. If the damage has reached the pulp of the tooth, the tooth may need a root canal before a crown is placed on it. It’s only in cases where the tooth is severely damaged or rotten that it may require pulling.
• Severe decay (cavity) Dental decay is a tooth’s worst enemy. It is a bacterial infection that erodes the tooth enamel causing a cavity (hole) in the tooth. Fortunately, small cavities can be filled in with a filling and larger cavities can be covered with a crown. In some cases, a root canal may be required before the crown is placed on the tooth. However, if these remedies aren’t viable, our dentist in Naples may recommend the tooth be pulled.
• Baby tooth retained Losing baby teeth are a rite of passage for children starting at the age of 5 or 6. But there are times when a primary tooth fails to fall out on its own, preventing the permanent tooth behind it from emerging through the gum line. When this happens, the dentist will remove the baby tooth so the permanent tooth is able to come through.
• Tooth or teeth need to be pulled before orthodontic treatment By the age of 13 or 14, most of a teen’s permanent teeth have emerged. Sometimes, however, the teen’s jaw is too small to hold all the teeth in proper alignment. The teeth crowd each other and shift out of position. When this occurs, the dentist may extract a tooth to make room for the other teeth. After the extraction, orthodontic treatment including braces may be recommended to straighten the remaining teeth.
• Advanced gum disease loosened teeth Bacteria don’t just attack the enamel of the teeth, causing cavities. It can also target the gums, resulting in periodontal disease, also known as gum disease. As the disease progresses, the gum tissue pulls away from the tooth and damages the ligaments holding the tooth to the jaw bone. If the tooth becomes too loose, it can fall out or need to be extracted.
• Impacted wisdom tooth or wisdom teeth Wisdom teeth are a third set of molars that typically push through the gum line at the back of the jaw when a person is between the ages of 17 and 25. Many people, however, don’t have enough room in the jaw for the wisdom teeth to come in. The wisdom tooth may remain partially or completely under the gum line, impacting the adjacent tooth. This is called an impacted wisdom tooth. A dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to remove the impacted tooth.

Our dentist in Naples may refer to the type of extraction you need as a “simple tooth extraction.” That means the dentist expects the shape and condition of the tooth roots will allow the tooth to be easily pulled.

Generally speaking, a tooth extraction is a routine dental procedure that can be performed by a general dentist in the comfort of our Naples Center for Cosmetic Dentistry office. In more complicated cases, our dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to perform the tooth extraction.

Wisdom Tooth Removal in Naples

Most people have four wisdom teeth that come through the gum line during the later teen or early adult years. This third set of molars that make up a person’s 32 teeth can cause several problems, however.

If you are experiencing pain from emerging wisdom teeth, our team at Naples Center for Cosmetic Dentistry will take x-rays to see if they are causing any of the following problems:

• Your jaw is too small for the wisdom teeth to properly grow through the gum line
• The wisdom teeth are only partially coming through the gums and impacting an adjacent tooth
• The wisdom teeth are growing in at an angle
• The wisdom teeth are damaging the adjacent teeth
• The wisdom teeth are damaging the jaw bone
• The wisdom teeth are causing a gum infection

If any of these problems are detected, our dentist may recommend you have the wisdom teeth removed. It’s easiest to have the wisdom teeth extracted before the age of 25. That’s because the wisdom tooth roots are not fully developed yet and the jaw bone is not as dense as it will be later in life.

If our dentist cannot perform the wisdom tooth procedure, we’ll refer you to an oral surgeon who will be able to help you.

Call Naples Center for Cosmetic Dentistry Today to Schedule an Exam

The first step to determining whether you need to have any teeth extracted is to schedule a dental exam. Following x-rays and an evaluation of the condition of your teeth, we will determine whether the natural tooth or teeth can be restored to health, or if the best option is to remove the damaged teeth.

Call our office today at (239) 206-4282 to schedule an exam. We look forward to helping you.