Tooth extractions in Plantation, Florida

Nothing compares to the misery of a toothache. And nothing will prompt you to call the dentist faster than the desire for relief from constant, throbbing pain. 

Your teeth are attached to the jawbone by threads of tissue known as periodontal ligaments. To pull a tooth, the dentist expertly manipulates the tooth to detach these ligaments. Once the ligaments are severed, the tooth can be easily removed.

Why a Tooth May Need to be Removed

Our priority is to restore your teeth to health when possible. There are times, however, when an extraction is the only way to relieve a toothache. Common reasons for tooth extractions include:

• Severely cracked or broken tooth Despite their overall strength, teeth are sometimes susceptible to traumas that can result in a crack or a break. If the damage is minor, the tooth can be fixed with a crown. If the crack or break has spread to the pulp in the middle of the tooth, a root canal may be necessary before the damage can be sealed with a crown. There are times, however, when the tooth is too damaged to save and the dentist will recommend that it be extracted.
• Deep cavity (decay) Every time you eat and drink, a film of bacteria called plaque coats your teeth. And, despite rigorous brushing and flossing, these bacteria can erode the enamel of your teeth, causing cavities, which are literally holes in the teeth. If the cavity is small, it can be repaired with a filling. Larger cavities can be fixed with a crown or a root canal followed by a crown. However, if the tooth is severely infected and the patient is experiencing a great deal of pain, our dentist may recommend that the tooth be pulled.
• Baby tooth stopping permanent tooth from coming in Starting at the age of 6 or 7, a child’s permanent teeth begin to emerge and displace the primary, or baby, teeth. Sometimes, however, a baby tooth fails to fall out when the permanent tooth begins to emerge. This can prevent the new tooth from growing in on schedule. When this occurs, the dentist may have to remove the retained baby tooth.
• Tooth or teeth need to be removed before orthodontic treatment As adolescents lose their baby teeth and the permanent teeth emerge, sometimes the jaw is too small to accommodate all of the new teeth. They begin to crowd one another and shift out of position. The dentist may recommend extracting one or more teeth to make room for the remaining teeth. Often, this extraction is followed by an orthodontic treatment, such as braces, to help realign the teeth.
• Severe periodontal disease While it’s natural for children to lose baby teeth, it can signal a problem when an adult loses a permanent tooth. The most common cause of adult tooth loss is periodontal disease, also known as gum disease. Just like the bacteria in your mouth can attack the enamel of the tooth and create cavities, the bacteria can attack the gum tissue, causing it to pull away from the tooth and erode the ligaments holding the tooth to the jaw bone. This will loosen the tooth which sometimes falls out on its own and sometimes must be extracted by the dentist.
• Impacted wisdom teeth Between the ages of 17 and 25, a third set of molars begins to emerge at the back of the jaw. Because this occurs when a person reaches maturity, they are called wisdom teeth. If all goes as nature intended, the wisdom teeth will emerge without incident. However, in many cases, there is not enough room in the jaw to accommodate this third set of molars. Their emergence may be partially or completely blocked by adjacent teeth, resulted in an impacted wisdom tooth. Our dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to have the impacted wisdom tooth extracted.

The shape and condition of the roots of the tooth dictate what kind of extraction is needed. In most cases, the procedure is uncomplicated and the dentist can perform what’s known as a “simple tooth extraction” right in our Sunrise Dental Group office. In some cases, however, our dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to perform the tooth extraction.

Wisdom Tooth Removal in Plantation

Around the late teens or early 20s, people may begin experiencing some discomfort in the back of their jaw that signals the arrival of a third set of molars known as wisdom teeth.

When the discomfort turns to pain, it may mean there is not enough room in the jaw for these new molars to properly emerge. Our team at Sunrise Dental Group will take x-rays to determine the reason for the pain. Common problems include:

• A jaw 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 emerging at an angle
• The wisdom teeth are damaging adjacent teeth
• The wisdom teeth are damaging the jaw bone
• The wisdom teeth are causing a gum infection

If one of these problems is detected, our dentist may recommend you have the wisdom teeth removed. This procedure is easiest before the age of 25 because the roots of the wisdom teeth are no fully developed and jaw bone is not as dense as it will be in later years.

If the wisdom tooth procedure is too complicated to perform in our office, our dentist will refer you to an oral surgeon to have the tooth or teeth extracted.

Call Sunrise Dental Group Today to Schedule an Exam

Whether it’s a dull, throbbing pain or pain so severe that it affects your ability to eat and speak, the first step is to call our office at (954) 246-4871 to schedule an appointment. Once we take x-rays and evaluate the condition of the tooth, our dentist will determine whether to tooth can be restored to health or if it is too damaged or decayed to save.