Your general dentist or specialist may determine that one or several teeth need to be removed for any number of reasons. Some teeth are extracted due to severe decay; others may have advanced periodontal (gum) disease, or they may be fractured in a way that cannot be repaired. Additionally, teeth may require extraction because they are poorly positioned in the mouth (such as impacted teeth), or in preparation for orthodontic treatment.
Teeth removal can lead to future changes in your chewing capability and efficiency, potential problems with your jaw joint, and the likely shifting of remaining teeth, which can have a significant impact on your overall dental health.
To avoid these potential complications, Dr. Hutto will discuss alternatives to tooth removal as well as several tooth replacement options (such as partial dentures, bridges or implants).
The Extraction Process
At the time of extraction procedure, the doctor will need to numb your tooth, jawbone and gums that surround the area with a local anesthetic. You may choose to have the surgery completed under local anesthesia alone, or in combination with nitrous oxide and moderate to deep sedation anesthesia.
During the extraction process you will likely feel a lot of pressure from the process of firmly moving the tooth in order to widen the surrounding bone socket for complete removal. However, while pressure is expected, sharp pain is not. If you do feel pain at any time during the extraction, please let us know right away.
Tooth Sectioning
Some teeth require sectioning, where the tooth is separated into smaller root pieces. Previously fractured and root canal treated teeth usually require surgical exposure and sectioning. This is commonly done when a tooth is very firmly anchored in its socket, the roots may be curved and the bone socket can’t expand adequately. The doctor simply cuts the tooth into sections then removes each section one at a time. Once all of the tooth roots and pieces are removed, the bone will be smoothed out and sutures will likely be placed to permit adequate gum healing.
If an implant is going to be eventually used to replace the now extracted tooth, Dr. Hutto will discuss the possible need to place a bone graft into the immediate extraction site to ensure that enough bone will be present after approximately 3-4 months of healing to accommodate dental implant placement.