After suffering from a toothache for several days, the pain may have become so bad that you feel you can no longer put off going to the dentist. Especially if you have some anxiety about doing so, you may be worried that the dentist will pull the tooth no matter what is causing the pain.

However, dentists will usually try to save a bad tooth if they possibly can. There are usually a couple of possible reasons why a dentist may decide that they need to extract your painful tooth.

1. Pulp of the Tooth Is Badly Decayed and Cannot Be Saved Using a Root Canal Procedure

One possible reason why the dentist may decide that your tooth needs to be extracted is when it is badly decayed. Even if there is some decay present within the pulp of the tooth, the dental professional may still be able to save it by performing a root canal to remove the decayed tissue.

However, if there is little to no living pulp tissue left, the tooth will not survive even after a root canal is done on it. In this case, the dentist may decide to go ahead and extract it to relieve your symptoms and prevent complications such as infection.

2. Tooth Has Become Impacted as It Grows in and Is Causing Severe Pressure and Pain 

Another reason why a dentist will need to extract a tooth is when it becomes impacted. As a new tooth such as a wisdom tooth grows in, there are times when it does so at a crooked angle, or it may even try to grow sideways under the gum line.

When this happens, the tooth cannot be straightened or fixed, so the dentist will opt to remove it. This is especially true if you are having symptoms or there is an increased risk of infection because of preexisting gum disease.

If you have a tooth that is causing you serious pain, you may need to have it removed if the pulp has become so decayed that even a root canal procedure cannot save it. It may also need to be extracted if the tooth has become impacted, such as when a wisdom tooth grows crooked or sideways, causing severe pain and an increased risk of infection. When you have a tooth that is bothering you, make an appointment with a dental office in your area to have them examine it to see if you should schedule a tooth extraction.

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