While most people would like to keep all their natural teeth for their whole lives, that doesn’t mean you need to feel bad about having a tooth taken out. In fact, seeing a dentist to remove a problematic tooth can be a great first step toward a healthier mouth.
There’s no need to spend your time wishing you had been more diligent about your dental care in the past. Instead of focusing on regrets, try looking at a lost tooth as an opportunity to reinvent your smile.
Here are a few surprising benefits that a tooth removal can provide.
Alleviating Toothaches
You might worry about the dental discomfort of having a tooth pulled, but in most cases this procedure will actually relieve you of the bad feelings in your mouth. First, you probably won’t feel much of anything during a tooth extraction, because the dentist will use anesthesia to make you numb. Second, a tooth that needs to be removed is often the cause of aches & pain, so you’ll likely feel better once it’s gone.
Improving Dental Hygiene
Sometimes a tooth can become infected if tooth decay is left untreated. Once that infection has progressed far enough, an extraction may be the best or only option to stop it.
A tooth that grows improperly can also affect your oral hygiene. This misalignment can cause your teeth to shift around & become overcrowded, making them more difficult to keep clean. If this happens, you may need to see a dentist who can remove the tooth in order to prevent cavities & other dental problems from developing.
Starting Your Journey to a Straighter Smile
As previously mentioned, a bad tooth can occasionally cause your other teeth to shift & become crooked. If you want to start orthodontic treatment, your dentist may require you to have the misaligned tooth removed before getting braces. Once this is done, there will be more room for your braces to move & straighten your teeth.
With this in mind, you don’t need to see tooth removal as a loss, but a new beginning for a beautiful smile. As with all our recommendations, we only suggest this kind of treatment if we know it is the best solution for your long-term health & happiness.