Teeth Extraction Techniques

Tooth extraction, a necessary procedure for centuries, has been feared by patients for just as long. With modern medicine, patients have a lot less pain to deal with, along with a low risk of infection. Unlike centuries ago, dentists have ways to bypass the removal of a tooth altogether, such as fillings or crowns. Sometimes the procedure is unavoidable if the decay is too great.

Simple Extraction

• The most common method of removal, a simple extraction requires only local anesthesia, which is usually delivered by injection to the gum. Once the patient is numb, the dentist then uses forceps to grasp the tooth and remove it by pulling back and forth until it comes loose.

Surgical Extraction

• Surgical extraction, a more extensive procedure, is usually performed by an oral surgeon while the patient is under heavy sedation. The procedure involves cutting the gums to gain access to the tooth and, usually, breaking the tooth into separate sections, permitting easier removal. The recovery period is longer with teeth removed in this manner, as swelling and pain usually last around two to three days.

Extraction of Wisdom Teeth

• The extraction of wisdom teeth differs slightly from both extraction methods but is closer to a surgical extraction than a simple extraction. All four teeth are removed at the same time, in most cases, and may require a week or more of recovery time. Sometimes the wisdom teeth are attached to the jawbone, requiring extensive surgery to remove them. Impacted (sideways touching of another tooth) wisdom teeth are common as well, and require careful surgery so as not to affect the tooth the wisdom tooth is touching.