A Tooth Extraction: Explaining The Process

As a dentist, there are many reasons my patients come in for tooth extractions. No matter the reason, the process is typically the same for each procedure. Knowing what to expect during the procedure can make my patients feel much more comfortable and make for a smoother experience.

The procedure begins with numbing. Using a local anesthesia, the area around the tooth, bone, and gum tissue will all be treated so they feel the effects of the numbing agent. While the area will be numb, the patient will still be able to feel pressure. Once the area is confirmed to be numb, the actual extraction begins.

The extraction begins by separating the tooth from the ligament that holds it firmly in its socket, a sponge-like and compressible bone. This is done using a special tool called an elevator. The instrument is forced into and is twisted around in the space between the tooth and the bone to expand the socket and begin the process of separating the tooth from the ligament. A gentle rocking motion is used to widen and enlarge the bone tissue. Sometimes, the tooth can be removed using only the elevator. Other times, once the tooth is loosened enough, there are specialized pliers, extraction forceps, that are used to finish extracting the tooth. Using a rocking and twisting action, and firm pressure, the tooth completely releases from the ligament.

Once the tooth is removed, the extraction site will be closed. Any infected tissue will be removed, along with the rounding off of any sharp bone edges. The socket be washed out, too, to remove any tooth fragments or loose bone. Then, gauze will be placed over the site and the patient will bite down.

Completing the procedure, the patient will be evaluated as they exit the chair. It is common to be a bit unsteady. If this happens, it may be necessary to sit for a few more minutes until they are ready to walk. Since only local anesthesia is used, patients are able to drive themselves home.

How Can You Tell When You Need to Get a Tooth Pulled?

While many people feel embarrassed or ashamed when they get the news that they need to get a tooth pulled, they really shouldn’t. We understand in the dental world that there are many different situations that can require an otherwise healthy tooth to need removal. It’s important for you to understand there were not judging you, and our goal is to simply give you the finest smile possible and make sure your oral health is as positive as we can make it.

There are several situations that might call for getting a tooth pulled. First of all, wisdom teeth will almost always to be pulled. These teeth often cause a wide number of problems with the other teeth in your mouth even if the wisdom teeth themselves are healthy. There is a high chance of wisdom teeth becoming impacted, which is a major reason why we always recommend getting them removed early before they can do damage.

Having an impacted tooth is another reason to get a hold. An impacted tooth is any time a tooth stops growing normally and has any type of an odd growth or angle but to cause future problems for the surrounding teeth. This can also lead to severe pain and this combination of things is why we recommend getting impacted teeth removed.

Another thing to look for is an infected or abscessed tooth. These infections can be extremely serious, especially if they spread to the mouth and into the bloodstream. All sometimes this can be fixed with a root canal on a thorough cleaning, there are other times when the full removal of the tooth is the only course of action that will make you fully healthy again.

Finally, there are certain cases or tooth will need to be removed to make room for the rest are growing properly, especially prior to having braces installed.