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Tooth extractions are among the easiest and best ways to get relief from a toothache. As the name implies, an extraction involves the extraction of the tooth. If your pulp has died or the tooth has become seriously infected, extraction may be your only route. Depending on the tooth, the dentist can perform a simple extraction or a more complicated extraction.
Simple extractions
These types of extractions, the simple extractions, are the most common in the world of dentistry. During a simple extraction, the dentist will remove the tooth by loosening the gums around the cavity. You will grasp the tooth with forceps and move it from side to side until you can free it from the socket and extract it.
The teeth are attached to the bone by a thin piece of soft tissue. This soft tissue is known as the periodontal ligament. The dentist uses this tissue to extract the tooth. As you may know, the key to extracting a tooth is to move the tooth from one side to the other, which enlarges the socket in the bone and breaks the ligament that helps hold the tooth in place.
Simple extractions, also known as “pulling the tooth,” do not take long to complete. The dentist will numb you before it starts, so you won’t feel a thing. Depending on the tooth, it will normally take a few minutes to extract after it has been numbed with local anesthesia. Once complete, the dentist will place a gauze pad in your mouth to bite down on and you can go.
Complex extractions
As we all know, not all teeth can be extracted. Sometimes the tooth will be so decayed or broken that the dentist will have nothing to grasp above the gum line. In cases like this, the dentist will need to perform a more complicated extraction, which involves pulling the tooth below the gum line, as the standard extraction and balancing method will not be able to be used.
These types of extractions involve the dentist making an incision in the gums around the tooth, and lifting the flap that was cut to expose the bone. Once the bone has been exposed, there may be enough of the exposed tooth for the dentist to grasp and extract it using the extraction method. However, in most cases, the tooth will become embedded in the bone, which means that the dentist will not be able to extract the tooth.
With teeth that are embedded in the bone, the dentist will need to use a drill and chip the bone to get to the tooth. This is known as cutting the tooth, and it is very common with impacted teeth or teeth that are severely decayed. Once the dentist works his way to the tooth and extracts it, he will sew back the flap of skin that he cut to get to the tooth. The skin flap and socket will heal over time, as long as you take care of it.
Tooth extractions are very common and occur daily for dentists. Oral surgeons are the best for extractions, as extractions are all they do. All types of extractions, even the most complex ones, will take time to heal. As long as you take care of the extraction site, you will avoid common failures such as “dry taps” and other mishaps. Although they can be painful once the procedure is over, you will eventually start to feel much better once your tooth or teeth have been removed. Maintaining good oral health will have a positive impact on your overall health. Come and visit us. We are the dentists at Unicare Dental Center. Make your appointment today in our office.
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