Permanent teeth are meant to last a lifetime, yet they are often damaged by decay, infection, and trauma which leaves them susceptible to loss. A tooth that is severely damaged is often feared to be “lost,” leaving many to fear that they will need to have a tooth extracted. However, not all damaged teeth need to be removed. In fact, there are several benefits of saving a tooth instead of removing it. Antibiotics, root canals, and other treatment options are generally quite successful methods that provide benefits to the mouth that extraction can not.
- Protection of the entire mouth. The teeth work together to support one another and the jaw bone. Any time a tooth is missing from a socket, the neighboring teeth are left vulnerable to becoming loose. An empty socket does not provide necessary stability to the adjacent teeth, and these teeth will begin to fall into the empty space. This empty socket also causes bone degeneration of the jaw because of the lack of support in a particular area. As the teeth begin to shift out of position and the jaw bone loses its strength, the loss of more teeth will begin to occur. This is one of the most beneficial factors to saving a tooth. Keeping the strength and integrity of support within the mouth gives it its stability.
- Proper function. If you stop and consider how much your mouth does for you on a daily basis, you may be amazed at how much function it provides. Having a complete set of teeth affects your chewing, speaking, laughing, yawning, and even coughing abilities. Missing teeth alter the alignment of the mouth, producing unwanted sounds, slurs, and discomforts.
- Natural appearance. As mentioned above, the jaw bone’s support is primarily dependent upon the teeth. Aside from maintaining an attractive appearance with a full smile, saving the teeth provides benefits to your facial structure. With the degeneration of the jaw bone, a person’s face often becomes lop-sided. This can lead to poor self-esteem and have a negative impact on a person’s personal and professional life.
- Less recovery. Saving a tooth through dental treatment is typically a minor procedure, while tooth extraction (especially of multiple teeth) is considered to be a major surgical procedure. Saving a tooth will require much less invasive treatment, thus, the recovery time will be much shorter.
At Group Health Dental, we want to help all our patients achieve ideal oral health. We are committed to excellence in dentistry.
