Tooth Extraction
Phoenix, AZ
 Your teeth are vital, performing numerous functional and aesthetic purposes. Your teeth allow you to bite and chew your food which, in turn, promotes good digestion and good overall health. They allow you to speak properly and therefore be understood. They even help to keep your jawbone healthy. Moreover, a full, bright white smile makes an impression on those you meet. At Implant and Periodontal Wellness Center of Arizona, we do everything we can to save at-risk teeth. However, there are some instances in which this cannot be done, and the teeth need to be extracted.
Reasons for a Tooth Extraction
Extracting a tooth is often the last option when all restorative options have been exhausted. There are a few different reasons for this:| • |
Severe damage to a tooth. It may be cracked, or even shattered, below the gum line.
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Your tooth has experienced significant decay, and a filling would only cause it to shatter. Even a crown would be unable to save it.
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You have an impacted tooth. While this is a common issue with wisdom teeth, any tooth can become impacted.
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Your mouth is crowded, and you need braces. A tooth extraction would serve to create room so that the rest of your teeth can align properly.
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Your immune system is compromised, and you are at risk for developing an infection. |
Types of Tooth Extractions
There are a couple of different types of extractions. The first is a called a simple extraction. As the name suggests, it is a simple procedure. The tooth only needs to be loosened and lifted out of its socket.
The second type of extraction is known as a surgical extraction. This type of extraction is used when the tooth is difficult to remove. It may be shattered and requires that several pieces be removed. Surgical extractions are also often performed in the event of an impacted tooth.
How Is a Tooth Extracted?
Before we remove the tooth in question, we first perform a thorough exam. This will help us to determine that no other restorative option will work and that extraction is the only option.
A simple extraction is a fairly straightforward process. After we administer a local anesthetic, we grip the tooth with forceps. We then wiggle the tooth back and forth to widen the socket. When the socket is wide enough, we simply lift the tooth out.
A surgical extraction involves a more in-depth procedure. After a local anesthetic (and sedation, if necessary), we make an incision in the gum tissue to expose the root of the tooth in question. If there is any bone blocking the root, we will remove that as well. We then go to work removing the tooth, piece by piece if it is broken (or if we need to break it to make removal easier). The socket is cleaned, and your gums stitched closed.
After your extraction, no matter which type, we will provide you with a set of aftercare instructions. These instructions will tell you how to care for the extraction site and what to do in case of common post-extraction issues, such as pain and swelling. They will also inform you of any symptoms to be on the lookout for, in which case you should call right away. In general, you should start feeling better in just a matter of days.
If you are suffering from a damaged tooth, contact us today! We will do everything within our power to save your damaged tooth, but if we cannot, we can perform an extraction, and then discuss options for replacement. |
