Your dentist will do everything possible to help you avoid a tooth extraction, valuing the specific purpose each tooth in your mouth serves—aiding in proper chewing, speaking, and maintaining the alignment of your other teeth. However, in cases where wisdom teeth removal becomes necessary, it’s crucial for preserving the health of your smile. Even with a single missing tooth, your entire smile can begin shifting, emphasizing the need to address wisdom teeth removal promptly to prevent complications and keep your smile aligned.

However, sometimes tooth extraction is necessary. Dr. Nikkhah at Pike District Smiles is experienced in identifying teeth that truly need to be extracted and those that can be saved. In the event that you need a tooth extracted, we make every effort to maximize your comfort and accelerate your healing process.

Wisdom teeth are the final molars to erupt in your mouth, coming in between the ages of 17-21, although some patients will see them earlier and some later.

Although our ancestors needed wisdom teeth to help them chew and digest large roots and other raw foods, today, our smaller jaws often make wisdom teeth a problem. Many patients have what are called impacted wisdom teeth, where there’s not enough room for these molars to emerge in the jaw.

Impacted wisdom teeth can push on the neighboring teeth, causing teeth to shift, pain and for some patients, an infection. In the event that your wisdom teeth are impacted, extraction is usually the best option.

There are several reasons someone may need a tooth extraction outside of impacted wisdom teeth. These include:

• Having a baby tooth that won’t fall out and is impeding the progress of the adult teeth
• If you have too many teeth that don’t all fit in your mouth (usually done prior to orthodontic work)
• Having a tooth with deep decay that’s not reparable with a root canal
• If you have severe, advanced gum disease and extraction is the only option
• Having a tooth that’s been impacted by an accident or trauma that’s not reparable

Only a professional exam with your dentist can tell whether a tooth needs to be extracted. At Pike District Smiles, we help make the tooth removal process as simple and painless as possible in Rockville. Contact our practice to schedule a consultation with Dr. Nikkhah today.