How can we help you?
We value the relationships we build with our patients. Any time you have questions about your care – or any other question related to dentistry – we want you to feel secure and confident asking us. No question is ever silly or stupid!
It's important that you understand the treatment we recommend and why we recommend it. We've found that patients who are informed about their care feel empowered – and usually have the best long-term results.
We've addressed some of the most common questions we hear in our office below. If your question isn't here or you'd simply like more information, don't hesitate to call our Chesterfield, MO dental office or email us using the secure online form on the Contact page of this website.
Extractions
It might seem counterintuitive for a dentist to recommend extraction of teeth when the goal of a dentist is to save teeth.
Typically, a dentist recommends extraction of wisdom teeth for two reasons:
One – a patient does not have enough room in their mouth for these additional teeth. Many times an impacted tooth will develop a cyst that will cause a patient to lose bone, which can cause additional problems to the teeth in front.
Two – the further back in the mouth, the harder it is to keep our teeth clean and the more likely we are to develop a cavity on a wisdom tooth. Typically, this is not an issue until later in life, but by this time, the extraction will likely be more difficult due to our bone becoming more dense. It's usually better to extract wisdom teeth between the ages of 16 and 25.