All About The Process of Extracting a Tooth

Tooth Extractions: The Process Explained

If you need to have a tooth extracted, we will make sure that you are comfortable each step of the way. Although it may seem frightening, once you understand the process, you will see that it is pretty straight-forward. This should alleviate your concerns and let you focus on healing and maintaining your oral health.

The first step involves numbing the area. We will inject a small amount of local anesthesia into the gums. After a few minutes, we will perform a pain test. Additional applications may be done to ensure that you do not experience sharp pain during the procedure.

Next, we will use special tools to pull the tooth from the socket. At first, we will employ a rocking motion. Though some patients interpret this as difficulty in removing the tooth, that is not the case. When moving the tooth back and forth, it helps to expand the socket and make it easier to pull out.

The specific tools used during the extraction process will vary depending upon which tooth is being removed and the health and size of the remaining tooth. We may need to use more than one tool to further loosen the tooth and extract it cleanly.

You will feel some pressure during the procedure but should not experience pain. If for any reason you do, raise your hand to alert us and we will rectify the situation.

Once the tooth has been pulled, you will need to bite down on gauze until the bleeding has subsided. We will provide a prescription for pain medications or make recommendations for over-the-counter medicines depending upon your medical needs.

Make sure to follow our instructions regarding taking care of the area so that you do not experience a dry socket or other complication.

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.

Why Some Teeth Are Easier To Extract Than Others

If you are preparing to have your first tooth extracted you have probably spoken with friends about their experiences. If these accounts do not match up to what your dentist has told you, there is no reason to worry. The reason is that not all teeth are equal.

There are several different factors that can contribute to the difficulty of pulling teeth. This brief article was written to help you understand some common differences.

Position Of The Tooth Being Extracted

The position of the tooth is a huge determining factor. This factor goes beyond which tooth is being pulled. It also includes things such as how the tooth is aligned and positioned on the jawbone. Upright and leaning forward positions are usually a lot easier to remove than teeth that are tilted backward or sideways.

If you are dealing with wisdom teeth there are several other factors to consider. If the tooth has partially or completely penetrated the gum it will be easier than if it is still buried. It is obviously easier to extract a tooth that is impacted in soft tissue than one that is impacted into the jawbone.

Depth Of The Tooth To Be Pulled

Tooth depth is another important determining factor. Other than the root depth, there is also the fact that tooth depth determines how and where the dentist can grasp the tooth with his instrument. A tooth that is higher has more mass exposed and is easier to extract.

Shape of the Roots of the Tooth Being Removed

There are several situations related to the tooth’s roots that can differentiate the difficulty of extraction. This is especially the case with wisdom teeth. A typical root is separate from the other roots, however, many times roots can be entangled or fused with others. Entangled roots usually complicate extraction, whereas fused roots usually simplify it.

Another situation that complicates extraction is that at times roots may have an irregular shape. This can either make extraction more difficult, or simplify it. Extremely long roots usually make extraction more difficult.

Conclusion

In this article we have briefly mentioned some of the most common factors that differentiate the difficulty level of tooth extraction. These factors are taken into consideration when deciding the process of extraction, when your appointment is scheduled, and whether sedation is used or not.

As nerve wrecking as having a tooth pulled may seem, there is no need to worry. The important thing is that you have an experienced and capable dentist examine your situation. They will be able to make the right decisions and contribute to an better overall experience.

Wisdom Teeth Emergencies

Many people imagine a broken tooth or severe tooth pain when they think of a dental emergency. But wisdom teeth emergencies are not uncommon. Wisdom teeth can develop problems that require the urgent attention of a dental professional.

Wisdom teeth usually erupt in the late teens or early twenties. Spacing and crowding are common problems caused due to wisdom teeth. This situation can lead to impaction and infections in the long run. This is why many people prefer to get their wisdom teeth extracted by a qualified dentist. This article provides a overview of wisdom teeth emergencies.

People develop pericoronitis when a partially erupted wisdom tooth becomes inflamed. Inflammation occurs when food is lodged beneath the gum tissue. A professional dentist will remove the food debris and clean the affected area with antibiotics. Untreated pericoronitis can lead to severe infections later on. This is why you need to consult your dental professional immediately if you are suffering from such a condition.

Wisdom teeth usually overcrowd the other teeth. This can have a negative effect on the alignment of your teeth. You may not be able to clean your teeth effectively because of this over-crowded condition. Such a situation can lead to various infections and tooth decay issues in the long run. If you are suffering from wisdom teeth crowding, you should immediately consult your dental professional. Your dentist will evaluate the situation and advise whether extraction is required.

There are a small number of wisdom tooth extraction cases where blood clots are formed in the open tooth sockets. Unusual pain or any other issues relating to wisdom teeth extraction should be immediately brought to the attention of the dentist who performed the wisdom tooth extraction.

The vast majority of patients will not experience any problems after a wisdom tooth extraction. The gums will heal naturally if they follow the post-surgical care instructions provided by the dentist. If you continue to experience unusual symptoms or severe pain after a wisdom tooth extraction, the best thing is to consult your dentist immediately for redress.

A professional dental practitioner is equipped to handle any wisdom teeth emergency situation quite successfully. They have the necessary tools and qualified staff to attend to such emergencies. Even though wisdom teeth emergencies are quite rare, they happen at the most unexpected times. It is mandatory to consult a professional dental practitioner during such emergencies.

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.

Weekend And Evening Tooth Extractions

The best way to avoid emergency dental appointments is to practice good dental hygiene and always remember to schedule and keep those routine checkups and teeth cleanings at least twice a year.

Some elderly patients or those with certain chronic health conditions may even get advised to see the dentist more than twice a year. However, there are situations that require emergency treatment, and in some cases, this even involves emergency tooth extractions.

Emergency Dental Extractions After Hours in Milwaukee

Of course, we offer emergency dental service to our dental patients. In case of pain or swelling at night or on the weekends, quick treatment may be key to preventing even worse health problems. Infections in the mouth can spread to other parts of the body. In time, they can even cause heart problems.

Besides, nobody wants to try to get through a day with dental pain so severe that it makes it hard to eat or even drink. This is not a comfortable or healthy way to be.

In case of dental emergencies:

Take over-the-counter pain relief.
Contact the emergency dental phone number (see above). There may be instructions to treat the pain at home or come to the office right away to meet the dentists. Please follow these instructions.
Get quick relief and an emergency solution to pain.

Followup Care For Dental Emergencies

In some cases, we might take emergency measures that might need to get followed up with a regular dental appointment later. This could be in our office, but we may refer you to a specialist if we diagnose a severe problem. Either way, you will know that you have been treated to keep the problem from getting worse and manage pain.

Billing For Emergency Extractions And Other Dental Treatment

If you have dental insurance, it should cover emergency dental extractions. If not, we will work out billing arrangements. Here at our dental office, our patients come first, and this is even more true in the case of a dental emergency.

Don’t ignore severe pain, a broken tooth, or other major signs of a dental emergency. If you have a fever or severe swelling, the emergency dental line may even give you instructions to head straight for a hospital emergency room.

However, in the vast majority of cases, our office can administer the medically correct treatment. The decision might hinge upon the overall nature of the problem and the overall health of the person who needs to seek emergency treatment.

If you need a tooth extraction in Milwaukee call the number at the top of this page for immediate help.

5 Types Of Emergencies We Can Treat

Living with pain in your mouth is not something you want to experience for an extended period of time. Pay our dentist a visit to give yourself the opportunity to alleviate your pain. The longer you allow a dental emergency to persist the more you put your mouth and body at risk to become damaged as well. An infection in the mouth can easily spread down to the throat and damage the esophagus and heart.

Visit our Milwaukee emergency dental offices if you are in need of a tooth extraction. Avoid removing a tooth a loose tooth on your own because if removed inappropriately it can severely damage your nerves. Other services we offer include providing patients with a replacement filling, bridge, or crown that has fallen out of the mouth. Should you also experience swelling in your gums we can provide treatment and medicine to help reduce your swelling. Any large gashes or scars in your mouth should also be examined and if necessary treated, pay our offices a visit if you have a big gash that needs to be closed. Lastly, another emergency dental service we provide is give you anesthesia if the pain you are experiencing is too much to handle.

Give us a call or visit our offices to learn more about the types of emergency treatments we provide at our dentist office. A commonly overlooked part of the body that becomes damaged regularly but is hardly treated is the mouth. Your oral hygiene and health is important to the overall function of your body. Believe it or not there is a direct connection between oral hygiene and the body’s cardiovascular system. Make sure you take the time to care for your oral health the next time an emergency arises, and remember we are here to help.

We Don’t Treat Every Dental Emergency The Same

dentistfixingbrokentooth With our service you can be sure that we are going to tailor a treatment to your exact needs. We’re not in the business of giving everyone the same care because each set of teeth is different. Here are some examples of what we can do for people in an emergency.

Sometimes you have to go in to get an extraction because the tooth is infected and will become dangerous if you don’t take care of it right away. You are going to find that it does take a while for a tooth to get like this, but when you get to this point you’ll probably be in a lot of pain and have a lot of swelling going on. You cannot try to work with your tooth because even pressing on an infected spot on your gums could make the infection spread into other parts of your body which is why we have to care for the infection sometimes before an extraction.

If you’re an active person, or if you just have an accident such as falling, you could end up injuring yourself in the way of a broken tooth. While sometimes you can just get it capped and be fine, other times you’ll want to get it pulled out right away before it becomes a bigger problem. We’re able to get into the gums and pull teeth that you may have thought were too broken to get a hold of. Talk with us to see what your options are so you don’t pull something you could have easily taken care of.

Once you realize that we are trained to work with your emergency tooth extractions you can feel more at ease in working with us. You should never just leave something like this to chance. We can be contacted and will have you in quickly to care for your particular extraction.