Extractions

One of our main objectives is to help our patients preserve their teeth. But there are cases in which tooth extraction is the most viable option. If the tooth has been badly fractured or if the wisdom tooth is impacted, it makes more sense to extract the tooth. Orthodontists may also recommend the removal of some teeth to make way for orthodontic treatment.

Surgical and Nonsurgical Extraction

A tooth can be removed in 2 ways – surgically and non-surgically. The choice depends greatly on the condition of the tooth that needs to be extracted.

With the non-surgical extraction, the procedure starts with the application of anesthesia to reduce pain and discomfort. The dentist will then remove the affected tooth using dental forceps and a special tool called a dental elevator.

Nonsurgical extraction is generally used when the tooth is easily accessible. But if it cannot be easily reached, then surgical extraction may be necessary. This is usually done in cases when the tooth hasn’t yet fully broken through the gum line or if the tooth is fractured and its remaining portion is buried under the gum line.

To access the tooth, the dentist will make an incision through the gum line and in some cases he or she may even have to carefully break the tooth into several pieces to remove it from the socket.

Post Extraction Healing

Even with a nonsurgical extraction, some level of bleeding is to be expected. The bleeding can go on for about an hour or so until a blood clot forms around the socket.

After that, the open wound will require about a week to fully heal. The next stage is when soft gum tissue fills in over the empty socket, which will take 1 or 2 months. The last stage is the final socket closure with bone remodeling, which will take a minimum of 6 months.