The Centre For Contemporary Dentistry

Tooth Extraction Options

Your teeth are amazingly strong and were meant to last you a lifetime, but they do have their limits.

When you have a dental problem and we have exhausted all other choices, an extraction will be the best and least invasive treatment for your tooth.

There are several reasons we need to use this extreme treatment: when there is a risk of getting an infection, or periodontal disease is in an advanced stage that we cannot reverse, for example. We might also consider an extraction if there is a cyst in your jawbone, or you have severely crowded or misaligned teeth.

If we extract a tooth, we will thoroughly discuss options you have after the extraction. It is critical to your oral health not to leave the space empty. The neighboring teeth can shift out of position [top photo] and create serious problems such as—

• clenching and grinding your teeth.
• pain in your jaw joint.
• loss of bone in your jaw.

The opposing tooth in the other dental arch will not have a partner to bite down onto or to chew against. This could cause the tooth to protrude from its socket.

One option is to fit the empty space with a bridge [middle photo]. A bridge is an artificial tooth that has a crown on each side of it. The crowns are placed over your natural teeth, and the artificial tooth sits in the space where your tooth was removed.

We could also fill the empty space with a single-tooth implant [lower photo]. An implant is a metal post that is placed into the jawbone where the tooth was extracted. After your bone firmly attaches to the implant post, we then place a beautiful, natural-looking tooth atop the implant.

If you are experiencing a dental issue, please call our office right away so that we can evaluate the situation and set a treatment plan in motion. We want to help you keep your teeth healthy and protect your beautiful smile for a lifetime.