Most of us have either been in the situation or will face the decision at some point in our lives; should I try to save my tooth, or should I just have it extracted. There are several factors that go into making this decision. The first thing you should always do is seek the opinion of your dental professional. There are some cases that saving a specific tooth may not even be an option. If a tooth is compromised due to periodontal disease resulting in significant bone loss, attempting to save said tooth is really a no win situation. That being said, many times treatment options are available to save even a severely decayed tooth and although the options might seem more expensive in the short term, in the long run those options might actually save you money. If a tooth is extracted, the teeth surrounding the now missing tooth will start to shift to try and fill the void. This may not sound like a huge problem, but the shifting teeth can affect your chewing ability and jaw joint function. (See animation below)
I feel it is always best to try to save our natural teeth, but if it is not possible, then most likely the dentist will recommend you replace the extracted tooth as soon as possible (depending on healing time) with either a bridge, a partial denture or a dental implant. The biggest thing to be aware of is there are options available to you, so talk with your dentist, and come up with a treatment plan that you can live with! For more information or if you have questions, please call!
-Trisha
Always remember: Keep your teeth healthy and don't let them take a bite out of your life! ;)
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