Even if we anticipate treatment or need to visit a trusted Dunedin emergency dentist, we all dread the thought of having a tooth pulled. The idea alone can make some people cringe and squirm in their seats. But sometimes, dental extractions are necessary for our oral health and well-being. In this blog post, Bayshore Family Dental will dive into the top reasons why emergency dental extractions are necessary.
Advanced Tooth Decay
While largely preventable through regular dental cleanings and checkups, severe tooth decay is one of the most common reasons why our Dunedin emergency dentist might decide to remove a tooth. Tooth decay occurs when plaque—a sticky film of bacteria—builds up on your teeth and produces acids that eat away at the enamel and dentin. If left untreated, this decay can penetrate deep into the tooth, reaching the pulp where the nerves and blood vessels are housed.
At this stage, the tooth can become extremely painful, sensitive to hot and cold, and may develop an abscess, which is a pocket of infection. In such cases, extracting the tooth might be the best option to prevent the infection from spreading to adjacent teeth or other parts of your body. Our Dunedin emergency dentist prioritizes your overall health, and sometimes, saving a severely decayed tooth is just not feasible. Therefore, extraction becomes necessary to alleviate pain, eliminate infection, and safeguard your oral health in the long run.
Abscess or Infection
An abscess or tooth infection is a serious dental condition that might warrant an emergency tooth extraction. This condition can result from untreated cavities, previous dental work, or injuries that create an opening for bacteria. Symptoms of an abscess can include severe toothache, swelling in the face or cheek, sensitivity to hot and cold, a persistent bad taste or smell in the mouth, and fever.
If left untreated, the infection can spread to other parts of the body, leading to more severe, potentially life-threatening health complications. In cases where the tooth is severely damaged, and the infection cannot be managed through other means, such as antibiotics or root canal therapy, an emergency extraction may be necessary.
Our Dunedin emergency dentist can carefully remove the infected tooth to help eliminate the source of infection, relieve pain, and prevent the spread of bacteria to adjacent teeth and other areas of your body, ensuring your overall health and well-being.
Badly Broken Teeth
If your teeth are badly broken, our Dunedin emergency dentist might have to remove them. When the breakage is extensive and reaches beneath the gum line, it can compromise the structural integrity of the tooth. In such scenarios, repairing the tooth with fillings, crowns, or other restorative methods may not be possible or practical.
A broken tooth can cause significant pain, and if the inner pulp is exposed, it can lead to infection. To prevent further complications and ensure your comfort, our Dunedin emergency dentist may recommend extraction as the best course of action.
Call Our Dunedin Emergency Dentist Right Away
Whether it’s due to severe decay, damage, or infection, the decision to extract a tooth is not easy for either patients or dentists. It requires careful consideration and thorough evaluation of the situation at hand. If you need your smile checked by a Dunedin emergency dentist, don’t hesitate to call Bayshore Family Dental at (727) 733-1175.