When Should You Choose an Extraction?

When you are suffering from dental pain due to a tooth infection, it can be really tempting to request a dental extraction and call it a day. While pulling a tooth is certainly the easiest option, is it the best? If there’s a chance that your tooth can be saved, shouldn’t you at least try?

Let’s talk about the pros and cons of both so that you’ll have the knowledge to make the right decision for you and your teeth.

Why You Should Save Your Tooth

Many patients figure that they can simply have their problematic tooth pulled now and get a replacement later. Whether a dental bridge, implant or otherwise, your existing real tooth is going to provide more strength and greater longevity.

What’s more, you’ll need to be mindful of your surrounding teeth shifting out of place following an extraction. You could potentially experience issues with your bite, as well, ultimately leading to you needing even more dental work.

If you don’t immediately have an implant put in to replace the extracted tooth, you could see bone loss in your jaw and require a bone graft to rebuild and restrengthen your jaw.

Choosing to save your tooth rather than extract it will also avoid having to deal with a potential dry socket. Most people who opt to save a tooth also typically pay less in the long run. There are often mounting costs following a tooth extraction, especially if you decide to replace it.

Why You Should Extract It

In some instances, it is better to have your tooth extracted depending on its condition. A tooth that has cracked or chipped below your gum line can make it difficult to save. This is usually due to the tooth not having the strength needed to serve its purpose.

At this point, pulling it is likely to be the best call. While you should explore all of your options for saving your tooth, there are those rare occasions when you may need to consider an implant. Be sure to ask your dentist about a root canal, too, as it may allow you to keep your tooth.