Smile Specialist

Replacing teeth and Alternatives to extractions and tooth loss include Dental Implants, mini Implants, immediate Dental Implants, Crowns, Bridges, Veneers, Precision Dentures, Tooth Bleaching, Teeth Whitening, Cosmetic Bonding, Latest Ceramic Restorations, Second Opinions, Smile Profiling, Gum Diseases, Tooth wear and worn, uneven teeth, Periodontal Plastic Surgery, TMJ's, Difficult Occlusions, Excessive Wear Cases, Root canal treatment, Trauma and Emergencies; Anxious or Nervous Patients welcome too!

Please note: Disclaimer - All information on this site is purely for general interest only - you should always seek external "independent" advice before acting upon ANYTHING published on this site. Thankyou.

Alternatives to Extracting a Single Tooth

Sometimes there is no suitable alternative to extraction; your tooth may have to be removed because the decay doesn't leave enough sound tooth to be useful, or the gum diease is so bad that the tooth is very loose and cannot firm up after extensive or deep gum treatment.

But, sometimes a tooth can be saved, using some of these treatments:

1. Root canal therapy to remove dead/dying or infected nerves, usually followed by placement of a crown.

2. Deep gum treatment for Gum Disease, to improve foundations around the tooth.

2. Surgery - usually bone grafting or root amputation/apicectomy.

3. Delaying treatment - this is not recommended. The problem will only
worsen over time, with further complications, bone loss and pain likely.

If the tooth is decayed, the cavity will get deeper and move into the nerve. And if the bone around the tooth is infected, this condition will also worsen.

When decay has progressed to the point where the tooth has to be removed, it is crucial to treat the problem as soon as possible. Otherwise, the infection will spread to other teeth, or worse yet, to the rest of your body. Jaw infections can even be life-threatening and still in 2006, healthy adults die from blood-poisoning infections from tooth abcesses.

Remember, it's often important to replace a tooth after it's been extracted. A vital missing tooth can set off a chain reaction in your mouth, resulting in many new problems, such as drifting teeth or over-eruption and occlusal or even TMJ problems. Losing a tooth is like losing 2 chewing teeth (the one opposite is useless), so more pressure may be put upon the remaining teeth, causing them overload or other complications too!

The Pictures below show denture versus bridge and many different crown, veneer, bonded and fixed bridgework options to restore or even replace missing teeth!

Your Dentist or Specialist can give you individual advice.

For other Dentistry subjects information and choices, please click on:
Tooth Bleaching and Whitening or Dental and mini Implants or Dental Emergencies and Toothaches

Alternatively, you can Click here for many Patient Info. pages...

To know more about Dr.Kilcoyne's CV, Resume, Qualifications, Experience etc, Click Here for CV link

To see our latest prices Comprehensively, just Click for Prices Here (Please remember that we are Specialists!)

Dental teams can also visit www.4everlearning.com for unlimited verifiable CPD online for all GDC registrants ( Dentists and DCPs !), Whether Dental Nurses, Dental Hygienists, Dental therapists, Dental Technicians, Clinical Dental Technicians, Orthodontic Therapists etc, for CPD courses and teamworking.

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