A pediatric dentist will do everything to guarantee the health of your child’s teeth and maintain their natural teeth. There are however times when tooth extraction becomes the ideal treatment option for your child.
The indications for teeth extraction in kids are significantly different from the indications for adults. One reason for the disparity is that children have an immature blood-brain barrier and hence a heightened nervous system receptivity.
As such, they exhibit more symptoms compared with adults for similar conditions. Irrespective of the reason, tooth extraction by a dentist for children in Utah is a simple procedure done under anesthesia and is hence pain-free. Here are the common indications for dental extractions in kids.
Severe Caries
According to studies, severe dental caries are the leading cause of tooth extraction in children. These cavities affect your child’s jaw bone and pulp cavity, making surface treatments inefficient.
Severe cavities are characterized by immense pain, tooth sensitivity and visible pits or holes in the affected tooth. The tooth might also have also a periapical abscess, which is not treatable with pulpotomy. The affected tooth is extracted before treatment of the affected jawbone.
Trauma
Kids are naturally playful and hence at significant risk of sports injuries. The teeth are among the most commonly affected in sports injuries. While root canals and dental crowns are sometimes effective for the restoration of fractured teeth, they might not work in significant trauma.
In this instance, the tooth will be extracted and replaced with an implant for permanent teeth and space maintainers for milk teeth.
Orthodontic Issues
If your child has an inadequate dental arch, their teeth will be overcrowded. The dentist might recommend the extraction of a few teeth to open up the jaw and create space.
This allows the child’s remaining teeth to be properly aligned. In the correction of an orthodontic issue, the most frequently removed teeth are the first premolars.
Over-Retained Primary Teeth
Your child’s milk teeth should start falling out when they turns six years. After they fall out, these teeth are replaced by permanent ones within a few months. If your child’s milk teeth do not start falling out by the time they turn seven years old, a dental assessment is vital.
Over-retained primary teeth are usually caused by the absence of underlying permanent teeth that should push out the milk teeth. Infections, endocrine disorders, and irradiation also contribute to milk teeth over-retention.
The tooth can be extracted more so if crooked then a dental implant or fixed bridge used to close the gap. Alternatively, braces can be used to push other permanent teeth to close the gap left.
Before the extraction of your child’s tooth, the dentist will conduct a radiographic exam to assess the condition of the tooth’s roots and its position.
This way, they can evaluate any complications and act accordingly to minimize post-extraction compilations. After extraction, your child might be put on antibiotics to minimize their risk of infections. They should also be on soft foods for a few days to reduce discomfort.
