What Everyone Should Know About Dental Extractions
It's never good to lose a tooth, but modern dentistry offers patients several options to fill in that space once the extraction takes place. Some teeth are affected by decay, but sometimes an accident or illness causes damage to teeth. No matter how it was damaged, there are two ways to remove the tooth. Read on and find out more.
Simple and Surgical Extractions: What to Know
As the name might suggest, a simple extraction is the quickest and easiest way to extract a tooth. Surgical extractions, on the other hand, may involve more pain relief and take quite a bit longer to do. It's also possible that a simple extraction could morph into a surgical extraction if things don't go as planned. One example of that might be when a tooth breaks off near the gumline while the extraction is taking place. No matter what type of extraction you have, your dentist is sure to be as gentle as possible to minimize any trauma to you or your gums.
Simple Dental Extractions
When you were a child and losing your baby teeth, you may remember how a loose tooth suddenly ended up in your fingers. While a simple extraction may not be quite as easy as that, it is a relatively fast and basic procedure.
Your dentist will probably suggest a simple extraction if the tooth is intact. There must be enough tooth material for the dentist to get hold of it. If the tooth is not loose already, the dentist might begin things by wiggling the tooth back and forth (just like you did as a kid) with a dental instrument to loosen it.
Once the tooth feels loose enough to remove, the dentist will use another dental instrument to pull the tooth out of the gum. Speak with your dentist to learn about your options for pain relief while having a tooth extracted.
Surgical Dental Extractions
A surgical extraction is more appropriate when the tooth is not visible above the gum line. For instance, third molars, (so-called wisdom teeth) are often lodged under the gum, and a surgical extraction is almost always the best way to remove them. Impacted teeth and those that are badly damaged are candidates for surgical extractions as well.
The extraction is performed by the dentist making a small incision in the gum. In some cases, the bone under the gums will also need to be removed (just a bit of it) to access the tooth or what is left of the tooth. Again, discuss pain relief choices with your dentist at the appointment prior to the procedure and you are sure to be comfortable the entire time.
Speak to your dentist to find out more.