I am proud to say that I have all my own teeth at the age of 65. While that may not sound unusual to some people, everyone in my family who is my age or older wears dentures. I always tell people that that flossing is the key to good dental health. I have arthritis in my hands, but I don't let it keep me from flossing every day. My trick is to use those little "flossers" you can buy at the drug store. They have plastic handles floss stretched out on top of the handle. These make flossing easier on days when my arthritis is acting up. I started this blog to let other people know that they can keep their teeth healthy into old age when they take care of them. If you have hand pain, find ways to make flossing easier, like I did.
Don't Let Hand Pain Keep You from Flossing
6 Dental Problems That May Require Tooth Extraction
Francis Miles
Many people have teeth extracted, and it isn't only because of poor oral hygiene. Sometimes, a tooth extraction is simply necessary. Check out these six common dental problems that may require tooth extraction.
Major Damage
A small cavity isn't serious enough to require extraction. Your dentist can simply restore the tooth with a filling. However, if you haven't taken good care of your teeth, you may have a lot of decay which has nearly destroyed the tooth. In other situations, an accident may have caused major damage. The tooth may be cracked, chipped or even broken at the gum line. Sometimes, your dentist can rebuild a severely damaged tooth, but depending on the severity of the damage, the repaired tooth may not last long, and you may need to have the tooth extracted to prevent future complications.
Abscess
If you have a tooth abscess, your dentist may first suggest root canal therapy because it can usually be used as an alternative way to treat the tooth without extraction. However, in some cases, after root canal therapy, the infection returns. Perhaps there is a deeper problem, such as a cracked tooth root or perhaps the dentist did not fully remove the infection. Whatever the case, retreatment may be possible, but if it isn't, you may need to have the tooth extracted to take care of the infection once and for all.
Impaction
In a perfect world, all teeth would grow in straight and upright, but that isn't always the case in the real world. Some people have teeth that start to grow at an angle instead of straight upright. This is known as an impacted tooth. When a tooth is impacted, it can start to grow into the surrounding teeth, causing damage. It can also make cleaning your teeth difficult, which can lead to decay or infection. In some cases, the pressure caused by an impacted tooth is painful, but even if it isn't, the tooth should be extracted.
Overcrowding
If you have crowded and crooked teeth, you may be considering braces. However, sometimes braces aren't enough to fix a crooked smile. Some people simply don't have enough room in their mouth for all their teeth to sit straight and perfect. Even after braces, the smile may not look quite right or the bite may be off. If your teeth are severely crowded, your dentist may suggest extracting some healthy teeth to make room. With these teeth extracted, your final smile will be beautiful.
Extra Teeth
Everyone gets two set of teeth and that's it, right? Well, not quite. Some people actually get extra teeth. These are known as supernumerary teeth. When this occurs, a third tooth may try to grow where you already have one. Sometimes, the tooth is fully developed but not always. Having supernumerary teeth can cause overcrowding. It also makes it hard to clean your teeth, so you may have more decay or infection. The extra teeth can also cause damage to healthy nearby teeth, so they must be removed.
Non-Erupted Tooth
Another odd thing that can happen to your teeth is that some of them may not erupt properly. This is common in wisdom teeth or the third molars. There may not be enough room in the mouth, and the teeth don't emerge at all or only partially emerge. If left untreated, this can lead to pain and discomfort, but it may also cause the development of tumors and cysts. Your dentist can't force these teeth to emerge, so they should be removed.
Having a tooth pulled is definitely not the highlight of anyone's day. However, sometimes it is necessary to improve the health and appearance of your smile. For more information, contact a dental office like Renovo Endodontic Studio in your area today.
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