Did you know that there is a certain art to tooth removal? Many people think that it is just a case of brute force to pull the old tooth and root out of its socket. While this may have been the case decades ago, it is certainly not today. What does the dentist have to think about in addition to simply getting rid of an extra tooth?

Just like Snooker?

Just as a snooker player has to think about positioning the cueball for a future action whilst focusing on the immediate pot, a dentist has to think long-term about their work as well. Certainly, the immediate focus might be on removing a tooth that is either superfluous to a need, but attention needs to be fixed on not only a replacement, but also on the functionality of the other teeth around it.

Looking at the Big Picture

Many times people will consult with an orthodontist because they have too many teeth crowding their upper or lower arches. This is quite a common occurrence and with careful planning can be fixed.

However, when the "extra" tooth is removed, the clock starts to tick in terms of getting a perfect end result. This is because a certain amount of time is needed for everything to recover after the extraction, before any work can begin to think about the replacement. In that time, the bone that supported the old tooth begins to shrink away, in a process known as resorption.

This is perfectly natural, although it does happen at different rates of shrinkage in different people. This type of resorption can take place within a matter of weeks and if it's not brought into the equation can not only make the site less suitable to receive the replacement, but can also affect the surrounding teeth as well.

Careful Planning

This is why the dentist will be very careful when they are removing the original tooth. The walls of the socket that held the tooth in the first place are quite vulnerable to damage and need to be protected during the extraction. Also, the dentist may consider adding some specialised bone graft, to shore up the area much like a scaffolding -type structure will be used to shore up a building. This type of bone graft can be artificial and processed in a laboratory, which is a perfectly safe technique in widespread use today.

Getting a Pleasant Result

When dentists consider the "long game" like this, they have a plan to be able to replace the missing tooth, into an area that is ready to receive it. This is all part of the art of maintaining a healthy and aesthetically pleasing smile.

For more information, contact a dental hospital.