Having a tooth pulled isn’t something that anyone wants to have. Unfortunately statistical evidence shows that many Australians loose their teeth every day. Unlike baby teeth that are replaced by larger and stronger teeth. Once all adult teeth have erupted, there are no natural replacement for the lost teeth. Unfortunately there are certain instances, though, where one or more of the adult teeth need to be removed.

Here are some common reasons when tooth removal is indicated:

1. A tooth Damaged beyond repair: Teeth usually become damaged for one of two reasons —  a progressive disease, called decay, or following a trauma, which is some sort of accident,  that wears away healthy tooth and gum. In either incidents the remaining tooth structure will not be able to withstand the forces of chewing and it needs to be removed to prevent pain, infection or further destruction to adjacent teeth and bone.

2. To Make Space for teeth to be well aligned: Sometimes, our mouth just isn’t big enough to fit all of our teeth. As part of a treatment to make the teeth straight, teeth may need to be pulled out to reduce overcrowding and make room for the remaining teeth to be straightened. Space may also be an issue when someone has extra teeth, called supernumerary teeth, or wisdom teeth that don’t have enough room to erupt into.
3. To prevent the spread of Gum disease: When teeth are affected by gum disease the bone supporting them recedes and they start to loosen. At times these teeth cannot be treated and they need to be removed, in order to prevent the bacterial infection from spreading to adjacent sound teeth and the body via the blood stream.
4. Chemotherapy or Radiation treatment: The drugs and radiation used for cancer treatment are known to weaken the immune system and make tissue healing more difficult. Teeth that are even slightly infected, can cause major infections in your mouth and the rest of the body. To prevent any source of infection from diseased teeth during the chemotherapeutic treatment, these will need to be extracted.

5. Patients that receive an Organ Transplant: To prevent the rejection of organ transplants, recipients are given medication that can negatively affect the immune system, which puts them at a higher risk of infection. Any teeth that are infected or are at risk of being infectious are usually removed to avoid any health problems later on, when the patient will be under the influence of these strong drugs.

6. Teeth that interfere with the eruption of their peers: If your teeth are misaligned, they may be in the way for the eruption of other teeth. At times the only way to untangle this condition is to have one or more teeth removed to allow for proper eruption.
   

Advances in dentistry have made tooth extraction something that does not need to be feared. When a tooth removal is indicated Dr. Kaufman employs microsurgical techniques for tooth removal, which include magnification, illumination, smaller instruments and Piezosurgery technology, which is  nottraumatic to hard tissue and leaves soft tissue untouched. This approach allows for greater comfort during and after surgery, a faster recovery. If you need one or more of your teeth to be removed or if you need more information please  ask Dr. Kaufman or schedule an appointment for a consultation.