While hearing you need a tooth extraction is never welcomed news, it’s important to know that this is a very common procedure that your dentist in North Burlington performs regularly.
Many times, damaged teeth can often be repaired using techniques like root canals, crowns, and implants. However, there are situations where a tooth and root system are damaged beyond repair, and in these cases, your family dentist will recommend a tooth extraction. This means surgically removing the tooth or teeth from their socket in the jawbone.
Why do you need a tooth extraction?
Tooth extractions are often necessary in the following situations:
• A dental abscess, or an infection in and underneath the tooth that has caused severe damage. In these cases, a tooth extraction is necessary to allow the infection to heal and relieve the intense pain and discomfort that abscesses can cause.
• A trauma or injury to the mouth and teeth.
• Your teeth are crowding your mouth and there isn’t enough room to let them all come in – this is common when children are developing their adult teeth, and when the wisdom teeth come in (usually when a patient is in their teens or twenties).
• When the baby teeth don’t fall out before the adult teeth begin to come in.
• Wisdom teeth that are coming in crooked or getting infected. These can also be extracted before they even break the surface of the gumline.
What is the tooth extraction procedure like?
To prepare for your tooth extraction, your dentist will examine your mouth and review your medical history. They will also take x-rays to get a full picture of the size, shape and position of the tooth being extracted in relation to the other teeth in your mouth.
While many tooth extractions can be performed with conscious sedation techniques that will eliminate pain but allow the patient to remain awake, there are situations in which your dentist will need to use an intravenous sedation or a general anaesthetic, rendering the patient completely unconscious for the duration of the procedure.
Types of tooth extractions
There are two types of tooth extractions – simple extractions and surgical extractions. With simple tooth extractions, the team at Teeth R Us will remove a tooth that is visible in your mouth, numbing the tooth and gums, then using a tool called an elevator to loosen the tooth from the bone before removing it with another tool called dental forceps.
Surgical extractions are more complicated, and usually involve removing a tooth that has not broken the gumline yet or has broken off at the gumline. These extractions require the dental professional performing the procedure to make an incision in the gumline to access the tooth lying below the surface.
If you have a problem tooth and suspect it will need to be extracted, contact the team of experts at Teeth R Us today. We’ll schedule an appointment to assess your situation and discuss the treatment options available.