Although it is always best to keep your natural teeth, sometimes it will not be possible. There are many reasons why a tooth may need to be removed. The tooth may have a large decay or is too broken to be saved by other treatments. It could also be a wisdom tooth that is causing pain and swelling or sometimes a baby tooth that does not fall out and needs to be removed to make way for the permanent tooth. Should it become necessary, the dentist will decide how best to remove the tooth to prevent infections and complications to the surrounding area. After the tooth extraction, the dentist can provide options on replacing the missing tooth.