Do I Need My Tooth Extracted?

Dentistry preserves your natural teeth, even if it means extracting a tooth for a variety of reasons. The only person who can make this decision is your dentist. Dr. Scott Sazima of Westlake, OH, can make this determination.

Reasons for Extracting a Tooth

There are a variety of reasons for extracting a tooth:

• Trauma or Disease: You may need a tooth extracted if your tooth has been traumatized beyond saving. This could have been a result of a sports injury or any other accident. Disease, like a severe cavity, can completely demolish your tooth, root canal, and bone. In the end, your teeth can't function properly.
  
  
• Orthodontic Treatment: Believe it or not, sometimes you need a tooth extraction because your mouth is too small to maintain all your teeth. Your Westlake dentist extracts the necessary teeth to prevent crowdedness that may contribute to misalignment, food getting stuck between teeth, and routine brushing not properly cleaning teeth. After teeth are extracted, Dr. Sazima uses orthodontics to properly align teeth.
  
  
• Wisdom Teeth: Removal of wisdom teeth prevents damaging neighboring teeth, bone, gum tissue, nerves, and blood vessels if the wisdom tooth is in a bad position.
  
  
• Baby Teeth: If a baby tooth isn't in the right position, the permanent tooth won't erupt normally. Dr. Sazima will then need to remove the baby tooth to prevent the need for orthodontic treatment in the future.

Tooth Extraction Procedure

1. Get an x-ray to properly examine the position of the tooth roots and the condition of the surrounding bone.
2. A complete medical and drug history is taken and your dentist will discuss your anesthesia options with you.
3. The anesthesia numbs the surgical area (bone and gum tissues).
4. Your dentist, depending on the situation, may place a small amount of lab-processed bone-grafting material into the socket to preserve the bone volume.
5. The area is stitched and your dentist places a gauze to prevent bleeding and aid in clotting (healing).

Do you need to speak to a dentist?

To learn more about tooth extractions, call Dr. Scott Sazima of Westlake, OH, at (440) 835-4600.