Many things can cause an emergency dental extraction. If you're worried about tooth extractions, here are some tips to help you avoid them.

We've all been there: you're experiencing intense tooth pain, the throbbing is so bad you can barely focus, and the only thing you can think about is how much you want this tooth gone.

As you can likely guess, getting rid of the tooth isn't often the first course of treatment! The job of any good dentist is to keep as many of your natural teeth healthy, intact, and inside your mouth as possible.

However, there are situations where you might rush to the dentist for extreme pain, only to find out that an emergency dental extraction is your best option. What's the deal?

If you're wondering when your dentist might recommend pulling a tooth, the team at Radiant Dental Studio has put together a quick guide.

Read on to learn more.

Broken or Fractured Tooth

The dental trauma after a bad fall or accident can sometimes result in a broken or fractured tooth.

You might be surprised to know that not all of these teeth are dental emergencies! In most cases, a minor chipped tooth or small fracture can wait a few days until you can get a regular appointment with your usual dentist.

This is especially true if you don't feel any pain or sensitivity and the damage doesn't extend beyond the enamel. You can often tell by looking at the tooth for discoloration: if the entire chipped area is all one color, you're only dealing with the enamel. However, if you notice a slightly brown, yellow, or reddish-pink area, the damage might have extended past the protective layer of your teeth and needs emergency treatment.

You're likely to need an extraction if you're missing more than half of your tooth. If you've fractured it, you're most likely to need an extraction if the crack extends down beneath the gum line. In cases like these, the damage may affect the root of the tooth.

Either way, it's always a good idea to find a trusted dentist after any trauma or other serious dental problems, just to be safe. This is especially true if the area around the tooth is red, swollen, or bleeding.

Impacted Tooth

As we grow older, our adult teeth push through our gums (also called "erupting") one by one. If all goes well, we'll have enough space in our mouths for all of our teeth to erupt without issue.

However, overcrowding can make it more difficult for teeth to erupt without blockage. This is especially true in the back of the mouth around the wisdom teeth. Many adults don't have enough space in their mouths for all of their wisdom teeth to fit.

Sometimes, teeth erupt by pushing against other teeth and growing in at an angle. These teeth can be hard to clean, trapping bacteria in small crevices and crooked areas. In rare cases, your dentist may recommend removing one or more crowded teeth to reduce the risk of decay, though this isn't often an emergency.

In other cases, the tooth may not be able to push through the gums at all, getting stuck without ever surfacing. We call these "impacted" teeth. Whether a tooth is partially or fully impacted, you'll often know it: the intense pressure and inflammation can cause serious pain.

If you notice pain in one or more of your wisdom teeth, you may need an emergency dental extraction. Because we don't need our wisdom teeth, most dentists recommend removing wisdom teeth as soon as they become a problem. Getting rid of an impacted wisdom tooth can relieve your pain, and you won't even need to get restorative procedures afterward the way you might for other missing teeth.

Severe Tooth Decay

In most cases, tooth decay is easy to remove. Cavities are common, with around 25% of the population having at least one at any given time, and fillings are often the best bet for getting rid of the issue. These treatments make it easy to preserve the healthy parts of the tooth while blocking bacteria from returning to the decayed area.

However, if tooth decay is left untreated, it can spiral out of control. As bacteria attacks one or more teeth, the healthy structures of those teeth begin to die. When enough of the tooth's living tissue is lost, there is no way to save the tooth, even with more involved procedures like a crown or a root canal.

In cases like these, a dentist will likely recommend an emergency extraction. By the time this happens, the patient is often in a lot of pain.

Removing the tooth can help them get fast relief.

Severe Gum Disease

Like tooth decay, gum disease is common. In the early stages, it's even reversible. Regular brushing and dental check-ups can keep it at bay for good.

However, once the disease has moved from the early stages (gingivitis) to the advanced stages (periodontitis), the damage becomes permanent.

Periodontal disease is an infection within the gums. As the infection spreads, it attacks the soft tissues within the mouth. Once it begins to attack the bone or ligaments, the gums might start receding, removing crucial support from the teeth.

To prevent the infection from spreading further, a dentist may have to do a deep cleaning to remove bacteria from below the gums. They may also prescribe antibiotics.

When patients come in with an extreme case of periodontitis, however, the emergency dentist may recommend an emergency extraction. This can remove some of the infection and prevent it from spreading throughout the mouth.

Get an Emergency Dental Extraction

All of the situations above can cause extreme pain and stress. While a good dentist will always try to preserve a patient's natural teeth, an emergency dental extraction may be your best bet in these cases. Once the damaged or decayed tooth is gone, it becomes much easier to maintain your oral health and restore your smile.

If you think you might need an emergency dental extraction, trust the team at Radiant Dental Studio. We're proud to offer priority appointments to patients throughout the Bayside, NY area in need of urgent help. To get fast relief, schedule an appointment by calling (718) 224-3001 or contacting us online.

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