Removing (“pulling,” “extracting”) a tooth is sort of dentistry’s ultimate failure. That is a common view when the goal of dentistry is considered to be “preserving teeth so that they last a lifetime.”
That sounds like a noble and worthwhile goal, but it’s not quite complete.
Do we want to preserve all teeth?
What about a tooth that is situated so that it has nothing to bite against? If it cannot perform a useful function then what good is it? That alone is not enough to condemn it. Such a tooth may be doing no harm, so it ought to be left alone. But what if the tooth is in need of treatment? Suppose it has a cavity? Why go to the trouble and expense of maintaining a useless tooth ?
Suppose the decay is very deep and it is abscessed. It probably hurts a lot. Root canal therapy will preserve the tooth. That is certainly an option, but one rejected by many of the “alternative persuasion.” If root canal therapy is declined, then extraction of the tooth is the other option.
What if the tooth is not painful? Gum disease is usually not painful until it is very advanced. We have encountered lots of people over the years with chronic gum disease that is being “managed.” They have been advised to keep their teeth as long as possible – until they become painful or too loose to function. The reason behind that advice is that the teeth, compromised though they may be, are functioning better than a denture would. From that perspective it’s good advice.
However, that means that price of good function is constant inflammation. The infected gums are a source of stress to the immune system. The alternative community often questions whether that price is too high. The question doesn’t have an obvious answer which probably means it’s an excellent question. The answer should be made on a person-by-person and a tooth-by-tooth basis.
Cavitations and “Biological” Extractions
In the dental mainstream extraction of a tooth means separating it from the bone. The “gristle” (ligament) that attaches the tooth to the bone is torn in this process. Some of fibres of the ligament come with the tooth, and some stay with the bone.
There is evidence that suggests that leaving ligament fibres attached to the bone can retard healing and sometimes lead to the formation of a cavitation. The alternative way of looking at things is to try to remove as much of this ligament as possible once the tooth has been removed. Then it is recommended that the area be flushed with ozone to enhance the healing process. For want of a better term, these extra steps in the extraction process are called a “biological extraction” to differentiate it from the procedure that does not include these steps.
Wherever possible, at Growing Beautiful Smiles an extraction will be a “biological” one.