Oral Surgery

Although most people expect to maintain a full mouth of pearly white teeth throughout their lifetimes, situations may arise in which a tooth may need to be extracted. Tooth extraction is usually required due to severe tooth decay or if the patient suffers from advanced forms of periodontal disease. The need for a tooth extraction is not necessarily the result of poor oral hygiene and may need to be performed for any number of reasons other than disease and decay; patients who have suffered broken teeth from oral or facial trauma may also need to have a tooth extracted if it cannot be repaired.

Patients with impacted teeth may also need their temporary “baby teeth” to be extracted in order to allow the impacted tooth to erupt properly. Because the mouth was designed to function with a full set of teeth, even one missing or severely damaged tooth can cause serious issues such as the inability to properly chew, reduced jaw movement and the shifting of adjacent teeth out to position. This is why teeth that need to be extracted are usually replaced in a timely manner.