A dental extraction is exactly what it sounds like – the removal of a tooth from the mouth. Extractions can be performed for several reasons: severe gum disease, dead or decayed teeth, blockage of the growth and formation of other teeth, orthodontic necessity, wisdom teeth removal and others. Because extractions can require surgery, they will usually only be used if a filling, crown or other treatment cannot effectively repair the tooth.
Simple extractions are performed on teeth that are visible and accessible in the mouth. We will take an X-ray of your mouth to plan the best way to remove the tooth and, with the use of local anesthesia, extract it. The procedure can be done rather quickly and requires little to no recovery time.
Surgical extractions are necessary for teeth that have not yet grown out of the gum. These extractions are most commonly done on wisdom teeth that have not grown in. Local anesthesia is also used for surgical extractions, but the procedure takes slightly longer and does require a short recovery time since the gums need to be cut to access the tooth. However, applying pressure to the treated area and avoiding hard foods after will help the wound heal faster.