If you follow online gossip, you may’ve heard the idea that tooth extraction can cure gum disease. It holds that removing teeth rids your gums of infection, ensuring the tissues heal and recover. Well, this view just isn’t true; tooth removal isn’t an appropriate fix. You’ll want to rely on other treatment options to cure or manage your ailing gums. To learn more, let your Midlothian dentist share the key details with you.
Tooth Extraction Isn’t a Cure
Your teeth can certainly disrupt some periodontal therapies. That said, extracting them won’t get rid of your gum disease.
In the first place, a gum infection – especially periodontitis – doesn’t come from your teeth. Its cause is the buildup of plaque and tartar in your mouth, which irritates and inflames your gums. Tooth removal won’t address this intense presence of harmful oral bacteria, no matter how extensive.
The most an extraction would do is help you manage your condition. Without your teeth in the way, a dentist could more precisely target and remove the infected gum tissues. Some tooth removal could also reduce your risk of a later (and severe) tooth infection, sparing you from pain and other symptoms. Just know that such extraction work should only be a last resort.
What *Can* Cure Gum Disease?
Rather than tooth extraction, you should look into other treatments to cure your gum disease. Ideal ones include the following:
- At-Home Oral Care – If you only have gingivitis, you could potentially reverse your condition with thorough twice-daily brushing and once-daily flossing. These habits would effectively remove the plaque irritating your gums, so they’d give your pink tissues a chance to recover and heal.
- Scaling & Root Planing – For a moderate case of gum disease, scaling and root planing would be a suitable treatment. This procedure is a “deep cleaning” of the areas above and below your gumline that removes harmful plaque and tartar. As such, it can reduce (or even eliminate) your infection symptoms.
- Antibiotic Therapy – Alongside scaling and root planing, a dentist can also treat your gum disease with antibiotic therapy. This treatment puts topical antibiotics on your gums to kill the bacteria that cause your infection. Once this medicine dries up, your gums should look and feel much better.
Since tooth extraction can’t cure gum disease, please don’t put all your hopes in it. Consult your dentist instead about appropriate care for your gums.
About the Practice
Marvel Dental & Orthodontics is based in Midlothian, TX. Led by the fantastic Dr. Jay Oza, our practice takes a highly comprehensive approach to dentistry. We thus offer preventive, cosmetic, and restorative services, as well as top-tier orthodontic options. You can even count on us for gum disease treatments like scaling and root planing and antibiotic therapy. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (682)-772-3072.