Tooth extractions may be suggested by your dentist at some point, although it's not always needed, but simply an option to correct a problem. However, in these four specific situations, tooth extraction is probably the only option for a healthy smile:

1. Excessive Trauma or Decay: If you have an excessive amount of decay, chances are your dentist is going to have to extract the affected teeth so that they do not spread the problem to the rest of the healthy teeth in your mouth. If this happens, then you are going to have severe problems with your gums, as well. You may also need to have a tooth removed if it has suffered from severe trauma that can affect the rest of the teeth. For example, if you have a tooth that was severely chipped, it can cause problems with shifting in the smile, in which case your dentist is going to want to remove the tooth and replace it so that this shifting does not occur. 
2. ​Tooth Are Too Large or Overcrowded: If you have teeth that are too large, this is also a problem if you are looking to go through the treatment of braces for a straight smile. If the teeth are too large, this treatment will simply do no good since there won't be room for the teeth to move. This is also true if your smile is overcrowded, which happens when some teeth are overlapping others. 
3. Your Wisdom Teeth Are In: If your wisdom teeth are starting to come in, your dentist is almost always going to want to remove them. Since the wisdom teeth come in later in life, they are going to significantly shift the rest of your teeth once they come in fully. This is especially a problem if you have already had braces to correct your smile. Your dentist is also probably going to want to remove the wisdom teeth because they are extremely difficult to keep clean, which means the bacteria harbored here can cause problems for these teeth as well as for the others surrounding them. 
4. Improper Development in Kids: If you have a child who should otherwise have all of their adult teeth, but still has a baby tooth, then your dentist is likely going to want to remove it. This is because that baby tooth can cause problems with the adult tooth trying to grow in. Plus, if the baby tooth is lost too late in life and the adult tooth starts coming in, it is going to cause shifting. 

When you know these four specific reasons for tooth extractions, you can better understand the importance of the procedure if your dentist has brought it up recently. To learn more, check out websites like http://renovoendo.com.