Most patients hope they never need a tooth extraction, but the reality is in some cases, there is simply no way around it. If a tooth is overly worn, decayed, cracked or fractured it may be necessary to remove to the tooth to maintain the health of the remaining natural teeth. If the patient has a crowded mouth where the teeth are struggling for their own space. To secure proper alignment, some teeth may be removed. In some cases, if the patient has suffered some kind of trauma, whether during a sporting activity or an automobile accident, a tooth may have been broken off and the fragments need to be removed to limit the chance of infection. There are times, especially where the wisdom teeth are concerned, that the tooth has become impacted—gum and bone tissue have grown over the tooth—impeding its ability to push through the gums. Teeth that are impacted run a higher risk of becoming infected and should be removed.
Why do my Teeth Need to be Split Prior to Extraction?
The idea of having your teeth split before extraction likely sent chills down your spine. Some patients already have high anxiety with regard to oral procedures and to purposely have a tooth broken and then extracted might send them over the edge. This has to be done in certain situations when the tooth is deeply impacted and there is simply too much gum tissue and bone material to make the extraction easy. By surgically splitting the tooth, it makes it easy to secure it for removal and also ensures less tooth fragments being left behind which can make healing take longer and increase the chance for post-op infection. Let us know if you are need of a tooth extraction or have questions you need answers to.