SIMPLE & SURGICAL TOOTH EXTRACTION

Reasons such as severe tooth decay, an impacted wisdom tooth, crowded teeth, or failure of a baby tooth to fall out when it should, all require a tooth extraction.

There are two types of tooth extractions. When a tooth is clearly visible above the gum line, and the dentist can remove it using forceps, the procedure is known as a simple extraction. If the problem lies deeper within the gum line, the gum tissue and/or bone may need to be removed to extract the tooth. This is known as a surgical extraction. Wisdom teeth removal is a common reason for tooth extraction at our practice.

To surgically remove a tooth, the dentist will first either numb the affected area with a local anesthetic or, if multiple teeth are being removed at once, administer a general anesthetic that will leave you sedated throughout the surgery. An incision is made into the gum tissue to reveal the tooth, which is then gripped and loosened by being pulled back and forth. The tooth can be lifted out of the gums once it has been sufficiently loosened.

If it’s too firmly lodged in place to be removed in this way, it will be necessary to section the tooth into smaller pieces before being removed. It may be necessary to place sutures to close the area. When this is the case, we may use soluble sutures, which dissolve over time, so you do not have to make another appointment to have them removed.

After the tooth extraction, you will need to treat the affected area with care as there may be bleeding. Our specialist may prescribe medications to help deal with pain and swelling and will provide you with specific instructions in handling the tooth extraction site.