Tooth extraction
Tooth extraction is the removal of tooth from its socket in
the bone.
As frightening as this may sound, the worst being the
thought of ending up with a missing
tooth, this procedure is normally recommended for the benefit of your dental health.
Your dental care provider may recommend a tooth extraction
due to a number of reasons:
 Severe tooth decay
Tooth having suffered the effects of advanced periodontal
disease (“gum
disease”)
If a tooth is broken to the point it is impossible to repair
Tooth inappropriately positioned in mouth (such as impacted
wisdom teeth)
In preparation for orthodontic treatment (“braces”)
Anxious about your
upcoming tooth removal?
I couldn’t be more nervous when my dentist scheduled me
for a wisdom tooth extraction
a few years ago. I dreaded experiencing tooth extraction pain, the
discomfort and worst
of all- ending up with a gap due to a missing tooth. I
wondered how long the procedure
would take before it was all over and if I would
be able to talk or eat after the extraction.
Tooth
extraction pain
Generally speaking, and from my experience, tooth
extraction is painless. Dentists achieve this
by use of anesthesia which is administered shortly before the actual removal. The time the
actual pulling of
tooth takes before it comes out of the socket varies. It took my dentist 2
minutes to pull out my wisdom tooth.
There are two types of tooth extractions:
Simple Extraction
This procedure is used when the
tooth is visible in the mouth. Usually done under a local
anesthesia with or
without anti-anxiety drugs. A forcep is used to move the tooth back
and forth
before extracting it. A luxator (instrument that fits between the tooth and the
gum) can also be used to loosen tooth.
Surgical Extraction
Usually done by oral surgeons and
involves removal a tooth that cannot be seen, either
because it’s broken off
at the gum line or it’s not come out of the gums yet. e.g. an
impacted wisdom
tooth. Sometimes, a cut is done on the gum to allow for the removal
of bone or
part of the tooth.
This procedure is normally done
using a local anesthesia or conscious sedation. Children
and people with special
medical conditions are given general anesthesia.
What
happens after your tooth has been removed? Please read this important article
on
what to do after an extraction for it
will answer questions like: how to deal with the pain,
how do you control the
bleeding, when to start brushing teeth, what diet to
eat, how to
prevent dry
sockets, how to take care of the wound etc. Following the listed post-op
instructions will ensure faster and proper healing of the wound.
Can
tooth extraction be a bad idea?
Trust me, a gap in between teeth is not all that
attractive. In addition, neighboring teeth
will tend to shift, possibly significantly. Your natural teeth is usually perfectly aligned
and any changes
may result in problems associated with your chewing ability or jaw
dysfunction.
Also, teeth whose alignment has been altered can trap food
and be hard to clean
thoroughly. You know what that means-high risk of tooth
decay and gum disease.
Your dental care provider may recommend an artificial tooth to
replace the
missing tooth.
Alternatives
to tooth extraction.
Depending on the reason for tooth extraction, there may be
an alternative to tooth
removal. The options are usually more costly than the
cost of a tooth extraction although
tooth extraction may not be the least
expensive in the long run.
Endodontic surgery or root canals has been used for many
years by dentists to save
teeth.
Your choice to postpone or cancel an extraction to correct
an impacted wisdom tooth
may cause eventual misalignment, although it may have
no impact.
Not removing a decayed tooth may lead to septicemia and
other complications.
Read more about root canals.
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