Should Your Broken Tooth Be Saved Or Pulled?

Losing teeth is a perfectly natural experience in early childhood. Beginning at around the age of 5, kids celebrate the loss of the first and subsequent baby teeth as it seems to be a rite of passage. Plus, for most kids, those lost teeth signal a visit from the tooth fairy, that is certainly always a big event. For most children, shedding those baby teeth is painless and no cause for alarm, but if your child is having undue pain or swelling, a consultation with your family dental service provider is in order.

Cracks and Breaks

Once all the baby teeth have been replaced by permanent teeth, the loss of a tooth is no longer a reason for celebration. In fact, these events are usually caused by infection or some sort of irreparable damage to the tooth or gums. Losing a tooth may be an unavoidable result of an auto accident, for example. As people age, tooth enamel weakens and teeth have a tendency to become more brittle. Cracks and breakages are not uncommon as mid to old age approaches. Whether or not these teeth are salvageable or must be pulled should be determined by your family dentist at the earliest opportunity after the damage occurs.

Infections

It may come as a surprise to most people to learn that at times bacterial infections of the gums or teeth can go undiscovered for an extended time as early stages might not cause any pain. However, if not dealt with, both gum and tooth infections, especially if associated with periodontal disease, can eventually lead to loss of gum tissue and of the jaw bone. In fact, this is the number one cause of jaw bone loss. As the periodontal disease progresses and the bone erodes, it creates pockets around the teeth which are great breeding grounds for bacterial infection and plaque accumulation. The plaque in turn erodes away the anchoring holding the teeth in place, which can ultimately lead to the loss of one or more teeth.

However, of even more concern is that the disease can spread to other parts of the body. There is strong evidence to indicate that there is a correlation between infections in the teeth and gums and plaque accumulation in the arteries. The ultimate result can be unexpected onset of heart disease. The best way to avoid this avalanche of potential problems is to have frequent dental checkups so your dentist can properly assess the overall health of your gums and teeth.

Abscesses

For those who have a tendency to avoid dental visits like the plague, plaque build-up, minor infections or even tooth decay can lead to an abscess either in the tooth or adjoining gum tissue, or both. Unlike minor infections, abscesses are incredibly unpleasant. They can also be caused by chewing on hard objects (nuts, candy and beef jerky are common culprits) which results in cracks, damage due to an accident, fight or some other sort of sudden impact. It is crucial that abscesses be treated immediately to prevent the infection from spreading. Once it has been dealt with, cosmetic dentistry (often done by your regular dentist) can be utilized to restore the appearance of the damaged tooth, and save your smile. Minor cosmetic dental procedures include capping the affected tooth, while dental implants may be necessary to replace a lost tooth that couldn’t be saved.

Your Tooth Has Been Knocked Out

On rare occasions some event may cause you to lose a tooth altogether; for instance during some type of accident or fall. If you can retrieve the tooth and get to a dentist rapidly, it is possible that it can be re-implanted into the gum and saved. If done in time, the alveolar bone reforms around the implant, and your smile can be saved without further intervention.

To Pull or To Save – The Dentist’s Decision

In times past, dentists used to pull teeth that were infected or otherwise damaged. While they were not as well informed about the implications of spreading infection to other parts of the body, the policy of taking out the tooth was intended to rid the body of the problem.

Dentists these days are more inclined to finding a way to save your teeth. Broken or cracked teeth are typically capped to keep infection out, root canals are performed on infected teeth, implants are used to fill spaces that lost teeth once occupied, and so on. The objective is to retain the integrity of a healthy mouth and keep the patient happy and returning for regular dental visits. The ideal policy is to prevent infections if possible, or catch them very early so they are treatable with a dose of antibiotics. Routine, twice annual dental exams will surely help to accomplish this goal.

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If you seek Portland Oregon Family Dental Services author Stephen Daniels highly recommends West Hills Dental Center. Specializing in conscious sedation, their experienced dentists can help with all routine dental care and most cosmetic dental procedures, in addition to a wide range of anxiety-free treatments for the whole family.

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