Do You Need to Have a Tooth Extracted?

Not every toothache will require such drastic treatment. Your dentist will decide, after assessing the condition of your tooth, what route of treatment makes the most sense for you. Worst case scenario: the tooth will be deemed incurable and will have to be removed. Though, for many toothaches, this step is often not necessary.

A simple toothache doesn’t always mean a tooth needs to be extracted. In fact, more often than not, the issue can be resolved with a simple filling. In other cases, the pain they feel on their tooth may not be caused by their tooth at all. It could be a muscular condition, or referred pain from the joint in your jaw.

In any situation, it’s important that you don’t jump to conclusions. There’s no way for a dentist to come to a proper conclusion about whether or not you need an extraction without first examining the tooth. And, there’s no point in searching for the best price on an extraction unless you know that’s what you really need.

Treating the Pain

Your mouth and head have the highest concentration of nerves in your whole body, so it’s no surprise that several complications could be the culprit of your pain. As a first step, your dentist should work through all of your symptoms and potential treatment options.

Here are some typical conditions that can cause referred tooth pain:

• Gum infection
• Jaw alignment
• Muscular spasms
• Trigeminal neuralgia (infection of the facial nerves)

Textbooks are lined with cases where teeth were extracted, when that wasn’t what the patient needed to cure their pain. It’s important that your dentist works quickly to help you get some relief, but doesn’t rush to conclusions and put you through unnecessary procedures.

With that said, there are times where it’s clear that a tooth cannot be saved. The American Dental Association suggests that a tooth be removed due to trauma, disease or crowding. If a tooth cannot be repaired with a filling or crown because of damage caused by trauma or extensive decay, an extraction is the only solution. Additionally, teeth that don’t have enough bone support due to periodontal disease are also considered for removal. Also, in cases where abscessed teeth don’t respond to root canal treatment, the infected tooth will need to be extracted.