With broad experience we offer simple and surgical extractions of teeth as well
as in house wisdom teeth extractions
Before removing the tooth, your dentist will give you an injection of a local anaesthetic
to numb the area where the tooth will be removed.
If the tooth is impacted, the dentist will cut away gum and bone tissue that cover
the tooth and then, using forceps, grasp the tooth and gently rock it back and forth
to loosen it from the jaw bone and ligaments that hold it in place. Sometimes, a
tooth that is difficult to remove must be taken out in pieces.
Once the tooth has been extracted, a blood clot usually forms in the socket. The
dentist will pack a gauze pad into the socket and get you to bite down on it to help
stop the bleeding. Sometimes the dentist will place a few stitches to close the gum
edges over the extraction site.
Sometimes, the blood clot in the socket breaks loose, exposing the socket -- a painful
condition called dry socket. If this happens, your dentist will probably place a
sedative dressing over the socket for a few days to protect it as a new clot forms.
Although permanent teeth can last a lifetime, there are a number of reasons why tooth
extraction may be needed. The most common is a tooth that is too badly damaged, from
trauma or decay, to be repaired. Other reasons include:
- A crowded mouth. Sometimes dentists extract teeth to prepare the mouth for orthodontics.
The goal of orthodontics is to properly align the teeth, which may not be possible
if your teeth are too big for your mouth. Likewise, if a tooth cannot break through
the gum (erupt) because there is not room in the mouth for it, your dentist may recommend
extraction.
- Infection. If tooth decay or damage extends to the pulp -- the centre of the tooth
containing nerves and blood vessels -- bacteria in the mouth can enter the pulp,
leading to infection.
- Risk of infection. If your immune system is compromised (for example, if you are
receiving chemotherapy or are having an organ transplant) even the risk of infection
in a particular tooth may be reason to remove the tooth.
- Gum disease. If periodontal disease -- an infection of the tissues and bones that
surround and support the teeth -- have caused loosening of the teeth, it may be necessary
to extract the tooth or teeth.