Tooth Extractions

Reasons for Extractions:

Teeth extractions are necessary for a variety of reasons. Teeth that are damaged, from trauma or decay, beyond repair must be extracted. Teeth can be extracted from a crowded mouth to prepare the for orthodontia (alignment of the teeth). Teeth with severe infections in the pulp that cannot be treated with root canal therapy must be extracted. Wisdom teeth, the third molars in the very back of the mouth, need to be removed if they crowd nearby teeth or become a possible site for infection.

Procedure:

Dentists and oral surgeons perform tooth extractions. The procedure starts off with anesthetizing the patient through local anesthesia (numbing the site of extraction) or strong general anesthesia (preventing pain throughout the entire body and inducing sleep). The dentist will then proceed to remove gum and bone tissue that cover the tooth. Once the tooth is exposed, the dentist will loosen it from the jaw bone and ligaments and extract it.

The extracted tooth will lead behind an empty socket that is usually filled with a blood clot. Gauze is packed into the socket and the patient is usually asked to apply pressure on the gauze following the procedure to help stop bleeding. Sometimes self-dissolving stitches are used to close the gum edges over the extraction site.

Videos:

Resources:

https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/pulling-a-tooth-tooth-extraction#1
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/wisdom-teeth/expert-answers/wisdom-teeth-removal/faq-20058558
https://www.healthline.com/health/tooth-extraction#procedure