Pros and Cons of Having a Broken Tooth Extracted

Having a broken tooth can be a scary situation. Though teeth are the hardest substance in your body, it is not impossible to fracture them. This condition can cause pain and severe discomfort, and it can make it difficult to eat, talk and be in social situations. When confronted with this issue, your dentist has a few treatment choices. One possible intervention is to pull out the affected tooth. There are benefits and disadvantages to choosing this option, so make sure you understand when it might make sense to do it and when it may be right to try something else.

Typical causes of a broken tooth

Just like a person can break bones, breaking teeth is possible. Many broken teeth are a result of eating or chewing on hard food such as candy, nuts or even ice. Some patients may even break a tooth by biting down on a fork or spoon. Other causes of tooth fractures come from participating in high-contact sports such as martial arts, boxing or hockey. People can break teeth in car accidents or from slips and falls as well.

Extraction pro 1: financial reasons

There is no question that some dental procedures can be hard on the budget. Some patients even delay or ignore an essential treatment because they simply do not have the money to pay for it. Repairing a fractured tooth can require a significant financial commitment. Pulling a tooth out, on the other hand, will not set a person back as much in the pocketbook.

Extraction pro 2: might be the only way

Dentists have the skill and experience to intervene in many ways to fix a broken tooth or handle other issues in the mouth. This does not mean there is a solution every time. A patient’s fractured tooth may be so severe that there is no chance of saving it by using any treatment method. Sometimes, extraction may be the right way to go. This may also be true if there is not enough room in the jaw to accommodate the tooth anyway.

Extraction con 1: side effects

Removing tooth will not likely be pain-free. After the dentist takes out the tooth, the patient should anticipate some swelling, tenderness, irritation and discomfort. There are ways to combat these effects, but the recovery can be longer than desired. People who are nervous about this should think twice about going with this treatment.

Extraction con 2: formation of pits

After extraction, a pit could form where the tooth was. This is not common but possible. As a result, infections could occur. Another concern is that these pits could affect surrounding teeth too.

Choose prudently

If you have a broken tooth, there are usually a few options the dentist can pursue to repair it. However, in the most serious cases, extraction may be necessary. If you have a choice whether to have the tooth removed or fixed in some way, consider these pros and cons. Schedule an appointment with your dentist today so you can pursue the right course.

Request an appointment here: https://www.northside-dentalcare.com or call Northside Dental Care, PC at (978) 206-7077 for an appointment in our Peabody office.

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