Tooth Extractions

As dental professionals, our goal is to help you live a healthy life with all of your original teeth. However, there are times when we cannot save a tooth.

Girl SmilingSometimes it becomes necessary for a tooth to be removed because of crowding, disease or trauma. No matter the reason, we use a conservative approach with tooth extractions. While they may sound serious, most extractions are routine procedures. Our experienced doctor performs simple extractions with skill to ensure the most comfortable recovery & the best possible result.

If not removed, a tooth that needs to be extracted can become problematic, resulting in pain, infection & other dental problems. But getting them removed doesn’t have to be an ordeal.

What Is A Tooth Extraction?

The kind of tooth extraction you are probably most familiar with is wisdom tooth removal. Because they often cause problems to nearby teeth & can get infected, wisdom teeth are often removed before or after they come in. Other causes for extractions include:

  • Severe tooth decay
  • Damaged, broken or infected teeth
  • Teeth that do not come in correctly (or at all)
  • Gum disease
  • Making room for teeth to shift during orthodontic treatment
  • Side effects from certain medications or treatments

Surgical Extraction vs. Simple Extraction

There are two types of tooth extractions. The first is called a simple extraction. As you can probably tell from the name, this is a basic, minimally invasive procedure. When a tooth is entirely visible in the mouth, we can remove it without affecting the surrounding bone or gums.

If you need a simple extraction, the process is straightforward. The goal is to lift your whole tooth out of its socket. To do this, the dentist needs to widen the socket so the tooth can easily come out. Using a tool known as an elevator, they gently wiggle your tooth around to make a wider opening. When the tooth is loose enough, it can be pulled out with forceps (a tool similar to pliers or tweezers). You may feel some pressure as the tooth comes out of its socket. This surprises some patients, but there is no reason to worry about it; the local anesthesia ensures you will not feel pain. Once the tooth has been completely removed, the dentist will clean out the now-empty socket & apply medical gauze to stop any bleeding.

The other type of extraction is known as a surgical extraction. Because the teeth that need to be extracted are often not visible above the gums, these cases are more complex and require the expertise of an oral surgeon. We are happy to provide patients with a referral for these procedures.

Determining The Type Of Extraction You Need

We will determine which kind of extraction you need by taking x-rays beforehand. If the dentist decides that you need a routine extraction, they will inject a local anesthetic drug to numb the tooth & the surrounding area. If you are anxious about this procedure, dental sedation can make you more comfortable. Please note that you will need someone to drive you home if you are given sedation.

Aftercare

The most important part of tooth removal is the aftercare. Whether you have a simple or surgical extraction, you need to carefully follow your dentist’s or oral surgeon’s directions. Failing to properly care for the tooth socket makes it much more difficult to heal.

After you have a tooth removed, the empty socket eventually fills with a blood clot. Like a scab, a blood clot helps stop the bleeding. This is the beginning of the healing process, so your job is to make sure that nothing happens to that blood clot. Do not touch it!

For about three days after the extraction, you also need to avoid smoking, drinking out of straws, spitting or blowing your nose. All of these things create a level of pressure that can dislodge the blood clot & open the socket. If this happens, you will get what is known as a dry socket. Dry sockets are painful & require intervention. Please call us right away if you get one.

If you follow your instructions & avoid a dry socket, most of the major healing takes place within one or two weeks of the appointment.

After having a tooth removed, you may notice changes in your jaw. With a newly opened space, your teeth & jawbone can shift. Losing a tooth can have a major impact on your dental health & quality of life. If you want to prevent this, you can fill that space with a dental bridge or a dental implant. Contact us if you want to know more about your options for replacing a missing tooth.

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