When your tooth has been compromised due to severe decay, injury or lack of bone support you may be presented with different treatment options: saving or extracting the tooth. Saving the tooth often involves the need for a root canal. If the tooth is extracted, then replacement can be done with a newer treatment option, dental implants. The two procedures may have similar final aesthetic results, but involve very different procedures with different requirements.

A root canal preserves your natural tooth, but removes the decay within its structure and any infection within the root. Dental implants are a more complex dental surgery procedure that involves the extraction of your diseased tooth and its replacement with a prosthesis or “artificial tooth”. Our goal as dental professionals is always to preserve as many of your natural teeth as possible. Root canal treatments preserve 17 million teeth a year. However, due to the increasing predictability and reliability of dental implants, this alternative can be a very good option when the prognosis of a tooth restored with root canal is still questionable.

Despite the “fear factor” the term root canal often creates, root canals are actually a simple and relatively pain free procedure. In a root canal the source of your tooth pain, infected or inflammed nerve tissue, is removed. The tooth is cleaned and filled with a biocompatible material, then sealed with a crown. The procedure is relatively painless with modern dental anesthetics. Implants require surgically extracting the tooth and a separate surgery later to insert an artificial tooth root into the jaw bone. After sufficient time to properly attach to the bone, the replacement crown is affixed to the implant.

There are many factors to evaluate before deciding the course of treatment. The integrity and amount of remaining tooth structure as well as the amount and quality of surrounding bone will profoundly affect the long term prognosis of a tooth restored by root canal treatment. The bone also affects the possibility of anchoring an implant. Also, some people with certain medical conditions should avoid dental surgery whenever possible and for them root canal therapy may be the best option.

If you have lost several teeth, dental implants can present a very attractive alternative to dentures, or even be used in conjunction with full or partial dentures to provide a much more secure anchor to hold the dentures in place.

The most common type of dental implant used today is called a root form implant. These are post-like devices usually made of titanium alloy that are placed in the bone to serve as artificial tooth roots to which the dentist can then securely attach a crown or bridgework or an anchor for a denture.

Every situation is different and if you are experiencing tooth pain or have recently broken, cracked or otherwise damaged teeth seek the advice of a dental professional to discuss the right restoration option for you.

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Tooth extraction is a dental procedure of the removal of a tooth from your mouth. There are two basic types of tooth extraction: simple extraction and surgical extraction. Simple extraction involves the removal of teeth that are not visible in the mouth. Surgical extraction involves the removal of teeth are not easily reachable or visible in the mouth. The reasons for a tooth extraction include:

A Crowded Mouth

The dentist may remove your tooth in preparation for orthodontia. The objective of orthodontia is proper alignment of teeth. However, it is impossible to achieve that if your jaws cannot accommodate your tooth. In addition, the dentist may extract the tooth if it cannot erupt because of insufficient room in your mouth. The extra teeth also referred to as supernumerary prevents teeth from erupting.

Infection

If the damage of your tooth extends to the pulp, you can get an infection because of the entry of bacteria in the pulp. Root canal therapy or antibiotics can correct such a situation. However, if they cannot cure the disease, extraction may be essential to eliminate the spread of the infection.

Part of Orthodontic Procedures

Orthodontic treatment involves straightening of the teeth. Orthodontic procedures such as braces may necessitate the extraction of the tooth to create space for proper alignment of the tooth.

Damaged Tooth

The cause of the tooth damage beyond repair may be decay, broken or due to trauma (through maybe a sharp blow to the teeth thus causing chipping of the tooth). When the damage is severe, tooth extraction becomes the only solution.

Risk of Infection

Compromising of the immune system, for instance, through receiving chemotherapy or a risk of tooth infection, then tooth extraction may be inevitable. Chemotherapy increases the risk of tooth infection by weakening the immune system. Therefore, removal becomes necessary. Organ transplant, on the other hand, also increases the chances of tooth infection through the prescribed immunosuppressive medications. Teeth extraction prior to the transplant thus has to take place.

Periodontal Disease

If your tooth has the periodontal disease, it may cause loosening of the teeth. The periodontal disease is an infection of the bones and tissues that support and surrounds the teeth. Such a disease may cause pulling of the teeth.

Remove Impacted Wisdom Teeth

The baby teeth and impacted wisdom teeth may fail to fall out on their own. Such a situation may interfere with the surrounding nerves, vital teeth structures or other teeth. Such teeth need immediate extraction to prevent disease progression.

Non-Functioning or Misaligned Teeth

Teeth misalignment may lead to failure in achieving the appropriate bite against two opposing teeth. Such complications that may cause gradual and eventual deterioration of your oral health may facilitate the extraction of your tooth.

Radiation

Neck and head radiation therapy may necessitate prior tooth extraction in order to prevent complications such as infection. Radiation causes dysfunction in the salivary gland that will eventually lead to increasing in oral disease and tooth decay.

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Most people when thinking about malpractice suits are not aware that there are also dental malpractice suits filed. Dental malpractice suits are in their own category but just as any other person in the medical field, dentists are liable for improper treatment services.

The frequency of the number of claims in dental malpractice is pretty steady. The claims are smaller of course than in the medical field. Here is a range of injuries, due to improper dental treatment that can lead to a dental malpractice claim: injuries to jaw, lip and tongue nerves, injuries related to anesthesia and death.

If a dentist for example fails to detect oral cancer, and other oral diseases he is liable.

A dentist has to make sure that there are no prior medical conditions that may require special treatment for example before giving anesthesia.

The most obvious dental malpractice case is when a patient dies from the dental procedure. This can happen for example by administering improper anesthesia or by improper treatment of gum infections. Here are some other reasons for a person to be able to file a dental malpractice suit:

1. Permanent nerve damage due to complications from an oral surgery.

2. Sometimes a root canal can result in permanent numbness.

3. When a person may be injured from what is called a dental extraction (making a mistake by accidentally removing a good tooth)

Dentists are just like other physicians liable for any injury due to improper treatment or wrong diagnosis. By law, dentists are held to a certain standard of care when rendering services to their patients.

Here are some real cases of dental malpractice:

1. A case of periodontal abscess caused by defective bridge not properly treated: a $24,000 settlement.

2. A woman had a procedure done but it was done with improper contoured crowns and bridges, negligence: a $47,500 settlement.

3. A patient had a permanently numbed tongue following a rather routine wisdom tooth extraction: a $140.000 settlement.

4. A young man who sustained nerve injury in his mouth as a result of a dental procedure: a $54,000 settlement,

5. A woman with painful numb lip and chin after a routine dental treatment: a $100.000 settlement.

While it is not quite clear how many cases of dental malpractice are filed every year in the United States alone, according to some statistics the numbers are rising. There are countless cases of people that have suffered due to improper dental procedures and negligence and all too often these cases are not reported. Often, people may not be aware that they can file a dental malpractice suit. While dentists are people and therefore can make mistakes, making an error that results in a permanent injury that could have been avoided is not acceptable.

If you feel that you have experienced any of the injuries above or some others, it may be time for you to search for a lawyer that is familiar with dental malpractice lawsuits and that can help and advise you.

The time that you may spend searching for such a lawyer could make a difference in your life or the life of one of your family members. It is only right to get justice when injured through careless dental treatments or negligence.

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One of the more frequent conversations I have with pet owners before or during a teeth cleaning procedure (or dental treatment procedure) is about having to extract teeth. Usually it goes something like this:

Doctor: “Pet owner, your pet has multiple teeth with end stage periodontal disease. Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do to fix this, so I need to extract X number of teeth”

Pet Owner: “Oh no! Why so many? Do you have to? How is he going to eat? Will he be in pain?”

Doctor: “Yes, there may be some discomfort, but actually the teeth that are diseased are already causing pain. We will treat the discomfort of extractions with medicine at home after the procedure. He will eat fine, but you may need to soften the food for a week or two. We have to take out the teeth because the disease has progressed too far and there’s nothing else we can do.”

You may wonder why I’m writing an article about this. I’m hoping to explain a little bit about the mouths of dogs and cats, and the reason why we have to perform extractions, so that it may not be a big shock if your pet needs teeth extracted.

I have heard comments about “vets who likes to extract teeth.” Actually, that’s not the case; most of us prefer not to. If there are no teeth to extract that would mean that there isn’t disease present and your pet is healthier. Extracting teeth is sometimes hard work. Most animal professionals prefer to prevent extractions. The fact of the matter is that most animal patients haven’t had the dental care needed to prevent extractions, and by the time I perform a dental treatment procedure it is too late.

Let’s think about how we take care of our own teeth. When we are children we are taught how to brush our teeth well before the permanent teeth develop. Then we continue that oral hygiene regimen, usually twice daily, often floss daily, and visit out dentist once or twice a year. We have very clean teeth and periodontal disease is avoided. Humans need all their teeth to chew because we grind our food and cannot swallow it whole, so proper oral hygiene is important to prevent tooth loss. We only have 32 teeth (28 if you’ve had your wisdom teeth removed), so it’s necessary to keep them all healthy.

Now let’s contrast what happens with our pets. Most pet owners don’t realize that their dog or cat has baby teeth and lose them. Sometimes dogs will not lose all of their baby teeth, and if your vet doesn’t notice this, (or if your pet isn’t taken in to the vet) those extra baby teeth can cause problems. Most pets will have all of their permanent teeth present by 6 months of age. Dogs have 42 teeth (that’s a lot!) and cats have 30 teeth. After 6 months of age tooth brushing should begin, but many pet owners don’t do this because they’ve never had instruction or been told to, and many pets resist it. So if a pet is lucky, they get their teeth brushed occasionally, like when they go to the groomer. It’s inevitable that plaque and tartar will accumulate and cause gingivitis. Plaque, tartar and gingivitis wouldn’t be a big problem if the pet was given a professional, anesthetized dental cleaning once it started to accumulate. But for a number of reasons this doesn’t always happen, so eventually that plaque causes gum and bone damage and loosening of the teeth. Now we have end stage periodontal disease, which requires extractions.

Luckily dogs and cats don’t need teeth to eat. They don’t grind their food like we do, and we can prepare food for them that’s in small bites and soft enough to just swallow whole. In fact, many dogs and cats who have no teeth at all still eat dry food! It’s not a terrible thing to extract bad teeth, in fact it usually makes the pet feel quite a bit better. Many clients tell me that after having diseased teeth removed their dog is more active, acting like a puppy again, and is eating better.

Pet owners need to understand that tooth extractions are an unfortunate fact of dental treatment procedures for most pets. However, extractions can be avoided if pet owners will take the necessary steps to try to prevent dental disease. These preventative steps include regular visits for dental health evaluations, regular (daily) tooth brushing, and regular anesthetized dental cleanings.

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The first thing you need to know about tooth extractions is that it may take more than one appointment before the removal is performed. When you call the dentist office and make an appointment for your dental extractions be certain you tell the receptionist booking the appointment that you think you need a tooth pulled. That way they can schedule enough time for the dentist to perform the procedure.

The process of tooth extractions includes having x-rays made of the teeth below the surface of the gums. The dentist is looking for any problems that are under the gums that might cause the dental extractions to be more difficult. Some dental extractions actually require surgical removal of the tooth in question. Below the surface of the gums is where the problems that create this necessity usually lie.

Tooth extractions require local anesthetics to be administered with a shot. These shots are given to numb the area where the dentist will be working so that the patient feels no pain. Many people are scared of the shots, but in all honesty very few of the shots are ever felt by the patient. Their fear is of the thought of the injection and not of the pain the injection caused.

A dentist will apply some numbing agent on the gums before they insert the needle with the local anesthetic into the gum. If the patient is really nervous or afraid the dentist may also provide them with some gas to calm their nerves and allow them to relax during the procedure.

Dental extractions that require surgical removal of the tooth or any portion of the tooth may require two or more visits before the work can be done. You may have a visit to establish the need for the surgical procedure with your normal dentist, and then have to go see a special dentist that does the actual surgeries. When you see the specialist take the x-rays that your dentist made along with you to help save time and money at the second office.

The oral surgeons will not be able to schedule an oral surgery without having looked at the x-rays you have and meeting you in person. You will see them once to establish what needs done and then again to have the actual work performed. Generally with these extractions the anesthetic that is given to you will be stronger and will likely make you fall asleep. These are known as a general anesthetic instead of a local anesthetic.

Having a tooth removed is always something the dentist will only do if there is no other way to repair the tooth. They do not like to pull a tooth that can be treated and repaired. You should listen to the advice of the dentist about the severity of a tooth and follow their advice on treatment options. You never want to lose any more teeth than you have to lose.

After the tooth is pulled carefully follow the instructions given to you on how to care for your mouth. These instructions will save you from having possible bad reactions to the procedure.

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