Forceps used for teeth extractions

You have a toothache so you go to the dentist and they tell you that you have options for saving the tooth but since  those options are too expensive you decide to have the tooth extracted. Let’s reverse and talk about whether that would actually be a good decision or not.

Spacing

When you remove a tooth a space is left and the teeth will naturally shift and lean in to fill that space. This will in turn cause your bite to change which could also limit your chewing function or cause TMJ problems.

Super Eruption

If a lower tooth is removed the tooth that was right above it will super erupt ( meaning i will drop down because there is no longer a tooth below it) .  The tooth then that was either above or below it is then of no use when it comes to chewing and will eventually need to be extracted as well to prevent problems with your biting alignment.

Costs of Replacement

After you have the tooth extracted, depending on where it is, you may want to have the tooth replaced because you don’t like the gaps you see when you smile. So, let’s go over the options for replacement. I will start with the cheapest and then go to the most expensive replacement option.

• Partials

The cheapest type of partial that you can get is an acrylic partial with wrought iron clasps and it usually costs around $850 to have it made. Next, we have the valplast partial which is made from nylon and costs about $1000. And finally, there is the cast partial and the base of this partial is made mostly of metal with the rest of it acrylic. The costs of this partial is $1500. My favorite is the valplast partial because it is the more natural looking one of all of them.The down side of partials is that they take a long time to get use to wearing them and they are removable.

• Bridges

Bridges are basically crowns that are joined to fill a space. You have to be missing a tooth in order to have a bridge done. The doctor ends up having to put a crown on the two teeth on either side of the one that was just removed. the bridge is made out of metal and porcelain and it is cemented in. Depending on your chewing , brushing, and flossing habits your bridge may last for over 30 years. The great thing about a bridge is that it is permanent and you never even know it’s there. A bridge costs $1000 a tooth so if you are missing one tooth it will cost you $3000 to get a bridge done.

• Implants

Implants are done surgically by placing a screw down into the bone where the tooth use to be and then placing a crown  on top of it. It can take 6 months for the implant to be completed because you have to heal after each step for several weeks. The implant is the ultimate replacement for your tooth because it is permanent and you don’t have to mess with any other teeth in order to replace the one tooth that was removed. The costs for an implant is around $4000.

So although it may be the cheapest option now for you just to have your tooth extracted instead of fixing it– later on that will certainly not be the case.