Adults Have Many Options Today to Get Straighter Teeth

It is never desirable to get a tooth extraction, but there are some situations where removing a tooth can be beneficial to your oral health. Here are two of those instances where it can greatly benefit you to have a tooth removed.

Your Teeth Are Crowded

Some people have a problem where their mouth is simply too small for the teeth. The end result is crowding, where the teeth start forcing their way into each other due to not having enough room. Teeth crowding can create an unattractive smile, as well as cause problems with flossing. You won't be able to keep the teeth clean due to how close they are together.

A dentist may resort to using orthodontic techniques to move the teeth, but before that is even attempted, an extraction may be necessary to make room for where those teeth need to go. The dentist will remove the tooth from its root, which gives plenty of room for moving the remaining teeth over.

Your Wisdom Teeth Are Coming In

Your third molars are known as wisdom teeth, and they start growing in during your the teenage years. It is common for there to not be enough room for wisdom teeth, which can cause your gums to feel uncomfortable when they start to emerge. Meanwhile, some people have no issue with their wisdom teeth, since there is plenty of room for them to grow in.

Another common problem with wisdom teeth is that they can cause an impaction underneath the gums. This tells you that they are growing sideways, and will eventually grow into the other teeth. If you have had orthodontic work done in the past to cause the teeth to align perfectly, impacted wisdom teeth can ruin all of that work.

If the wisdom teeth are coming in straight, it's possible that the tooth never fully erupts through the gums. It will leave a small pocket that can trap all kinds of food and bacteria, which will cause inflammation. Sometimes the wisdom teeth are determined to be too hard to clean since they are so far back, which means it is more likely that you'll experience issues with tooth decay.

A dentist will take X-rays of the wisdom teeth to see how they are growing in. These X-rays can help determine if the teeth are completely impacted, or should grow in just fine. Tooth extraction will be recommended if there are any known problems that will be solved by removing the tooth.