Your smile is an important part of your health and wellness. While brushing, flossing, and visiting your dentist for routine checkups is essential, dental issues may still arise. In many instances, these issues may require the removal or one or more teeth. Known as a tooth extraction, this dental procedure is actually quite common. With this guide, you will learn a few common reasons why you may require a tooth extraction. 

Pain

Pain is one of the most common reasons why someone would choose to have a tooth extraction. This pain may stem from a variety of underlying problems, such as tooth decay or an injury that has led to an infection. Tooth infections can affect the tooth, the roots, and your gum tissue and jaw bone, causing mouth and head pain that affects your daily life and even ability to sleep.

Treating the infection to ease the pain is possible for some patients. However, extracting the tooth is sometimes the only way to treat a severe infection.

Impacting

If you have an impacted tooth, you may also require an extraction. Impacting occurs when a tooth cannot fully erupt in the mouth for some reason or another. The tooth cannot break through the gum tissue, which can be painful.

Impacting is most common with wisdom teeth, which are the back molars that usually erupt between the ages of 17 and 23 years old. Although they are not issues for everyone, impacted wisdom teeth can be very painful.

It is also important to note that impacting may occur in other teeth, as well. Younger children who have a tooth that will not erupt completely may require an extraction. While this is not the most ideal situation, extracting the tooth may be the only way to reduce the pain if the tooth will not erupt on its own.

Overcrowding

Finally, overcrowding is another reason why a person may require a tooth extraction. Teeth that erupt in the mouth too closely may push on adjacent teeth over time. This pressure placed on other teeth can cause the teeth to become crooked and misaligned, affecting the smile's look and the person's bite.

Removal of one or more teeth will create space, reducing the pressure and stress on adjacent teeth. Then, you can choose to restore the missing teeth with straight, normally aligned teeth using implants or porcelain veneers.

Help is available if you are experiencing pain, impacting, or overcrowding. Visit a dental clinic today to learn more about tooth extractions and other dental procedures.