When dealing with the health of your teeth, it is important to understand what they go through, such as the variety of foods and drinks consumed throughout the day, along with daily habits, like chewing on things that aren’t food or using teeth as tools to open objects. This, along with improper dental care, can greatly affect your dental health and can progress into further dental issues, including tooth decay, gingivitis, or gum disease. If infection becomes severe, tooth extraction may be required to remove an affected tooth or teeth.
Why Do Teeth Require Extraction?
There are multiple factors that may lead to the requirement of a tooth extraction; for instance, if one or more teeth have experienced severe decay, the teeth are no longer able to support themselves and will require extraction. The removal of affected teeth will not only eliminate a vast majority of harmful bacteria left by decay, but will also open the door for repair options, thus repairing the integrity of your smile.
Can You Replace Extracted Teeth?
Yes you can, and there are quite a few options that you may choose from. For instance, a dental bridge may be used in order to repair the gap left from missing teeth. With a dental bridge, a false tooth, or pontic, is placed in the gap left by a missing tooth and is anchored down by teeth adjacent to the gap, also known as abutment teeth. This can be used to replace up to three missing teeth in a row; however, if you have more than three missing teeth, or the teeth that are missing are not in a row, a dental bridge may not suffice.
ABOUT YOUR CERRITOS, CA, ORAL SURGEON:
Dr. Shawn Hofkes and the staff at Cerritos Dental Surgery are highly qualified to address complex issues, including those that require oral surgery to correct. To schedule an appointment or consultation with Dr. Hofkes, contact us today by calling 562-584-4082. We proudly serve patients of all ages from Cerritos, Lakewood, Long Beach, Buena Park, and all surrounding communities.
