5 Surprising Alternatives To Tooth Extraction Procedure

The tooth extraction procedure is one of the most popular dental treatments in eliminating infection and dental pain. Some patients are given the freedom to choose this service since its a simpler and cheaper option. Little did these patients know that by removing a tooth, risks to other dental issues are rising.

Especially without a preventive measure after the lost tooth, the remaining teeth will develop misalignment. You could verify this information from your dentist and ask about teeth malformation causes. Aside from this, tooth extraction infection is a real thing due to poor aftercare practices.

However, it’s another case for a wisdom tooth extraction. A rear tooth must be removed as there’s no way to save it from decay because of its narrow position. An impacted wisdom tooth could contaminate the other teeth in no time. In worse cases, the infection may even spread to the jaw and other parts of the body.

Nevertheless, dentists could save your teeth other than the rear ones. Even when there’s presence of swelling and bleeding, tooth removal is not the only option. If you’re up to keeping your natural teeth for most of your life, try these other alternatives:

Alternatives to tooth extraction procedure:

1. Root canal

Every tooth has an internal part where the tooth roots and pulp are found. When these inner tissues are exposed due to tooth cracks or breaks, it could cause discomfort. Initially, dentists would recommend a tooth extraction procedure. Although that’s an easy solution, root canal treatment is a more appropriate course of action.

During a root canal procedure, the dentist clears the diseased pulp as he creates a hole to access the tooth. When the tooth chamber has been cleared, the dentist seals it permanently with a filling.

2. Endodontic surgery

When the infection persists in the bony area of your tooth root, this creates an inflammation. Delaying the treatment will cause swelling and redness to spread on the face. While wisdom tooth extraction might be a good idea, endodontic surgery is more appropriate.

An example of this kind of surgery is apicoectomy or root-end resection. The process entails creating access through the gums to reach the bony end of a tooth root. The dentist cleans the disease through that way and then seals it again permanently.

3. Surgical bone grafting

Bone grafting is the process of taking a bone section from another body part and add it to the jawbone. Patients with insufficient jawbone are at risk of losing their teeth without proper support. So, instead of going for the tooth removal, bone grafting could help you achieve a full and healthy jawbone.

4. Root amputation

Some teeth have more than one root, especially the upper molars. They usually have three roots and it’s possible for only one of them to get infected. When the disease only dwells on one or two of them, the other roots could remain and keep the tooth healthy.

This is another way to avoid a tooth extraction procedure and save your teeth. The dentist performs root amputation to get rid of the infected root and seals the tooth from outside factors.

5. Medication

Sometimes, toothache is so persistent that all you could think of is get rid of the source right away. That wouldn’t be too hard to convince yourself in having a wisdom tooth extraction rather than enduring the discomfort. However, you must not linger in pain, rather, understand the reason why it exists.

Have your dentist check your teeth and hear a proper diagnosis. You might never know if all you need are prescription medications. Over-the-counter pain-killers will help you ease the discomfort. Similarly, antibiotics could do away with the developing infection.

Ask your Thornhill dentist which alternatives would best suit your dental needs.