Generally, we recommend treatments that will save teeth, but when a tooth is so damaged that it cannot be saved, or if it will help with alignment or other complications, extraction is the best choice. Extraction might be best for: teeth that are fractured below the gumline, severe tooth decay, advanced periodontal disease, primary teeth that are too crowded or not falling out properly, an impacted wisdom tooth, allowing for adequate room in the dentition for orthodontics
Before we start the extraction procedure, we’ll numb the area with anesthetic to keep you comfortable. After several minutes, we check the area to make sure that it’s completely numb.
During the procedure, you’ll feel pressure when the tooth is removed, but you shouldn’t feel any pain at all. If you do, we’ll stop and give you more anesthetic.
If the tooth hasn’t yet come in through the gums, we’ll start by making a small incision.
To remove the tooth, we’ll use an instrument called an elevator, which is placed next to your tooth and is used to gently loosen it. Then, we use forceps to grip the tooth carefully and remove it.
Sometimes, if your tooth’s roots are curved or are held tightly in the socket, it’s helpful to cut the tooth into sections before removing them.
If an incision was necessary, we may close it with a couple of sutures once the tooth is removed.
