TOOTH EXTRACTIONS
What to Expect from Tooth Extractions
At one time or another, nearly everyone needs a tooth extraction. It could be that a baby tooth is preventing a permanent tooth from taking its correct position, or perhaps a tooth is so decayed or fractured that it can’t be saved. Sometimes, advanced gum disease loosens a tooth so much that it cannot be stabilized. In these situations, extraction of the existing tooth is the right solution.
Many teeth are simple to remove but molars and wisdom teeth, with their multiple roots, may present greater challenges. Careful imaging of the position and condition of your teeth, their roots and supporting bone and thorough analysis by Dr. Schwerer are vital to ensure your comfort and rapid recovery. As you can see below, it’s vital to know when an extraction will be simple and when greater care is needed for a complicated extraction.
No matter what kind of extraction you need, your comfort is one of our primary concerns. We will work with you to ensure that you can get the care you need while remaining comfortable during your procedure and afterwards.
Simple Tooth Extractions
With a local anesthetic to prevent pain in the area being treated, the dentist will use a tool called an elevator to lift the tooth and loosen ligaments and gum tissue around the base of the tooth. Then the dentist will use forceps to gently rock the tooth back and forth until it breaks free of the ligaments holding it in the gum.
As soon as the tooth has been extracted, you’ll be asked to apply pressure to gauze placed over the extraction site. Stitches may be needed to close the area of the extraction. You will be given instructions on how to care for the site after leaving the office.
Complicated Extractions
Occasionally, a stubborn tooth will resist the dentist’s soft tug. In these more complex cases, the tooth may need to be carefully cut into smaller pieces for easier removal. This is called a surgical extraction. By easing a tooth out one piece at a time, it’s possible to ensure that no fragments are left behind and that the supporting bone can be left in good condition.
In the case of fragile or broken teeth, a surgical extraction means they can be completely removed without additional trauma to the surrounding area. The same is true for a tooth with long or curved roots or other abnormality. The amount of effort to remove a complicated tooth is actually lower with surgical extraction.
Wisdom Teeth
One of the reasons dentists prefer to extract wisdom teeth while patients are fairly young is that extraction may be simpler when these teeth have not yet fully developed and their roots have not yet hardened. It’s smart to have your dentist evaluate your child’s need for wisdom tooth extraction in their mid-teens.
You’ve probably heard of impacted wisdom teeth . This means that the tooth is not positioned so that it can emerge from the gum into a healthy position. It may be angled so that it’s pressing against the neighboring tooth or be stuck in the bone and unable to move at all. It could even be positioned horizontally in the jawbone.
Poorly positioned wisdom teeth are hard to keep clean. It’s common for food particles to become lodged in the area, leading to pain, infection and, ultimately, decay of both the wisdom teeth and adjacent teeth. In a few cases, cysts or tumors can develop around impacted wisdom teeth.
Surgical extraction of delicate, stubborn or wisdom teeth is a common procedure, generally performed under local anesthesia, sedation (if required), or general anesthesia by a specially trained dentist in an office surgery suite. After your surgical extraction, you will be given post-operative instructions and medication (if necessary) to help manage any swelling or discomfort.
It’s important that you let the office know if you become ill in the week before an extraction, as alternative arrangements may need to be made. Please contact us if you have any questions or concerns about an upcoming extraction.
