Pull Your Tooth or Save It? Which is Best?

There is really nothing like the pain of a bad tooth, and is a common occurrence in general dentistry offices. It can come out of nowhere and there seems to be very little that can stop the pain, although these home remedies may help. It can be specially complicated when it happens to children. Sometimes kids play pretty rough, and accidents like these can happen. Other than breaking bones, this is up there among the more immediately painful experiences children might undergo. Call a pediatric dental service that has emergency coverage, or simply take your child to your family dentist. Don’t wait, or you could instead be dealing with an infection, which can be much more dangerous.

Of course, the most important thing to do when you develop toothache is to contact your local dentist Toowong, the faster you get an appointment the sooner the problem will be sorted. It may not even need to be filled or removed!

But, if you are faced with the choice of removing or saving then saving is almost always the better option, here’s why:

  • Strength

Natural teeth are much stronger than anything a dentist can fit into your mouth. If you can save your tooth it can still last for the rest of your life and will be easier to care for, not need follow up surgery, and will even be easier to keep clean. All you have do is to maintain it properly and if you need some kind of orthodontic treatment, such as teeth alignment, you can go to your most trusted dentist.

  • Protecting Other Teeth

According to a dentist in Raleigh, NC, when you have a tooth removed you have a gap in your mouth. Over time the other teeth will move to partially fill this gap. This can actually weaken the other teeth, making it more likely that you’ll have issues with them in the future.

It can also affect your bite alignment and give you issues when chewing. You may also discover that food gets stuck in your mouth more often and the debris left behind can increase the risk of tooth decay.

  • Confidence

When you’ve lost a tooth, especially a front one, you may not feel like smiling as much. This affects your confidence and may prevent you from doing things that you would otherwise have done. That knock on your confidence can affect every area of your life.

  • Prevents Aging

When teeth are pulled the root is removed from the bone, this causes the surrounding bone to collapse into the hole, effectively changing your jawline and making you look older.

There are plenty of reasons why saving the tooth is the better option. However, there are some occasions when removing is the only option.

  • Cost

One of the biggest issues can be cost. Removing the tooth is a one treatment option with a set charge. Undergoing surgery to save the tooth can involve multiple visits to your family dentist and serious ongoing costs. 

If you have to pay these personally it may prevent you from saving the tooth, even if you know it is the best thing to do.

  • Too Badly Damaged

In some cases, especially if you’ve put off visiting the dentist, there is no other option but to pull the teeth and have dental implants. This is when the decay has gone too far and destroyed the root. If the dentist has nothing to attach a repair to it is simply not possible to save the tooth and dental implant treatment will be needed.

The key is to visit a general dentistry office and have regular checkups with a general dentist as soon as you realize you have an issue, putting it off will not help you in the long term.