Extractions

What is a tooth extraction?

Extracting a tooth means removing it from its socket in the bone.

When might someone need a tooth extraction?

• Advanced periodontal disease
• Fractured teeth or roots
• Impacted teeth
• Infection or abscess
• Malpositioned teeth
• Orthodontic correction
• Severe decay

You and your dentist may decide together that an extraction is necessary because of one or more of the reasons listed above. Because an extraction(s), also known as exodontias, requires special training and instruments to perform, most dentists prefer to send their patients to an oral surgeon for best results. Oral surgeons also have the ability to offer general anesthesia to make the procedure for one or more extractions a more comfortable experience for the patient.

Tooth anatomy and what’s involved in removing a tooth

Your jawbone encases the roots of each of your teeth. A ligament is present binding the tooth to the bone holding your tooth in its socket. During a tooth extraction, the ligament is carefully separated from the tooth and the tooth socket is enlarged to extract the tooth.

Impactions

When a tooth remains below the gums, it is impacted.

Impacted teeth are not only a description of whether the teeth are above or below the gum, but a reason why they are extracted. Impacted teeth may have resulted from teeth not growing properly due to gum tissue, bone, or other teeth. Impaction is a common reason for the extraction of wisdom teeth. Impactions need additional care and require a more complicated procedure than usual extractions. Most patients opt to have general anesthesia when removing an impacted tooth due to the extensive work needed for successful extractions of this nature.

After one or several teeth are extracted, dental implants are the optimal choice for replacing the missing teeth preserving the patient’s oral health, bone, and appearance. When a tooth or several teeth are missing, they tend to shift and can impact your oral health leading to possible problems with chewing/digestion, your jaw joint, and deteriorating bone. This is why it is very important to decide with your dentist if a tooth extraction is your best option and how you intend to replace the missing tooth.