Tooth Extractions in Fairfax

If the tooth is severely damaged or decayed, our dentist will advise you if it’s in your best interest to have the tooth removed. Here’s the good news: your teeth are not rigidly fixed to the jaw bone. Instead, they’re connected to the bone by fibers called periodontal ligaments. By carefully manipulating a tooth, our dentist can detach the fibers so the tooth can be extracted.

If you hear our dentist in Fairfax refer to the type of extraction you need as a “simple tooth extraction,” it means that the condition and shape of your tooth will allow for easy removal. This may also be referred to as an uncomplicated extraction.

Generally, a tooth extraction is a routine dental procedure that can be performed by our general dentist right in the comfort of our Dental One Associates of Woodson Square. In other cases, though, our dentist may refer you to an oral surgeon to perform the extraction.

Why a Tooth May Need to be Removed

Dental patients come to Dental One Associates of Woodson Square to have a tooth removed for several reasons. Common reasons for tooth removal include:

Severe decay (cavity)

Dental decay is an infection that breaks down the tooth enamel, causing a cavity (hole) in the tooth. Small cavities can be fixed using a filling, while larger cavities can often be fixed with a crown. If the infection has reached the soft pulp of the tooth and you are in pain, there are usually two options for toothache relief. If a root canal is not a viable toothache remedy for your tooth, then the dentist may recommend the tooth be pulled.

Severely cracked or broken tooth

In many cases, a tooth that is cracked or broken can be fixed with a crown. In other cases, the damage has impacted the pulp of the tooth and the dentist must perform a root canal and a place a crown to save the natural tooth. However, there are times when the tooth just cannot be saved due to severe damage. In those cases, our dentist will recommend the damaged tooth or rotten teeth be removed.

Crowded teeth / Tooth removal for orthodontic treatment

Sometimes the jaw is too small to hold all your teeth and they start crowding each other or moving out of position. The dentist may pull a tooth to make room for the other teeth. Often, a tooth extraction may be followed by orthodontic treatment including braces, which help to properly align the remaining teeth.

Baby tooth retained

A retained baby tooth is one of your primary teeth that does not fall out when it should. That means the permanent tooth behind it has no way to emerge through the gum line. In this case, our dentist will remove the baby tooth so the permanent tooth is able to come through.

Advanced periodontal disease

Periodontal disease is also known as gum disease. And just like the bacteria in your mouth can attack the enamel of your tooth and create cavities, the bacteria can attack your gum tissue, causing it to pull away from the tooth and erode the ligaments holding the tooth to the jaw bone. If the tooth becomes too loose, it can fall out on its own or will need to be extracted.

Wisdom Tooth Removal in Fairfax

Most people have four wisdom teeth that come through the gum line during the later teen or early adult years. They are officially called third molars.

There is often not enough room in your jaw for these molars to come in without crowding your other teeth. When wisdom teeth try to push their way up past the gum line, they may cause several oral health problems. When our team at Dental One Associates of Woodson Square takes x-rays of your teeth, we will check to see if the third molars are causing any problems such as:

• coming in at an angle that is impacting the jaw bone or adjacent teeth
• causing gum irritation or infection
• getting trapped under the gums

Our dentist may recommend you have all your wisdom teeth removed to eliminate existing problems and to prevent future ones. It is typically easiest to have the wisdom teeth removed before the age of 25. That’s because your third molars’ roots are not fully developed yet and the jaw bone is not as dense as it will be later in life.

If our dentist cannot perform the wisdom tooth procedure, our team will refer you to an oral surgeon who will be able to help you.

Call Dental One Associates of Woodson Square Today to Schedule an Exam

The first step to determining whether you need to have any teeth pulled is to schedule a complete dental exam. Our team will take x-rays, evaluate the condition of your teeth and discuss your options and any concerns. From there, we can determine whether the natural tooth or teeth can be saved and restored, or if the best option is to extract the damaged teeth.

Call our office today at (571) 364-7943 to schedule an exam. We look forward to helping you.