Dental extractions should be a last resort

We see many patients at our Tijuana dentist office in a great deal of pain or discomfort. Sometimes they are eager to have the teeth causing them extracted as soon as possible. This can be a natural instinct, especially when the patient has been in severe pain for a long time.
We see many begging to have a tooth yanked out of their heads. But it is important to realize that many teeth which you may believe are savable are in fact salvageable. A good dentist will be as conservative as possible in his or her practice, and will at least attempt to save every tooth possible. An extraction may seem like a quick fix, but it can lead to more problems down the road. After a tooth is extraction, your entire bite will begin to shift. If you had straight teeth before the extraction, they may begin to move out of alignment and negatively affect your smile. The problems are not only cosmetic. The tooth above or below the extraction site will no longer have anything to occlude – or bite – against. These teeth will eventually lose function, and will likely development problems of their own down the road. They too may need to be extracted. This is completely avoidable.

We have also seen patients that are fed up after years of expensive dental work. Over time, they begin to entertain the idea that they’d be better off with dentures. When a patient comes into the office and requests to have all their teeth extracted in favor of dentures, we very strongly advise against this. In fact, most Mexican dentists will refuse to treat these patients. While dentures may be less expensive and an easier option, they are no a viable solution, especially in the long term. Having all of your teeth extracted will cause major problems with your jawbone. The entire shape of your head will begin to change, and your face will give the appearance that it’s collapsing in on itself. Your will experience severe problems with your bite, and will be extremely limited in what you can eat. Although dental work can be expensive, dental extractions should be a last resort. You can space your treatments out over time as you are able to pay for them. Also, seeking out dental work in Mexico will reduce the overall cost by up to 70%. It is well worth it to talk to a dentist about a long-term treatment option, rather than needlessly extracting teeth that you will inevitably miss later.