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As frightening as it might sound, the removal of a tooth is a relatively common procedure in dentistry. Just as the title suggests, tooth extraction is when a tooth must be removed for medical purposes. There are a couple of different conditions that would merit the pulling of a tooth, and there are also just a couple of methods used to perform this procedure.
How is it Done?
X-Rays will help determine what kind of tooth extraction is needed, and the best approach for removal. There are two kinds of tooth extractions, and each has certain methods that are followed.
Simple Extraction
This more standard type of extraction takes place when a tooth is visible, and typically only requires a local anesthetic. The area tooth and gum tissue around the affected area will be numbed, and the tooth will be loosened from the jawbone to assist with the removal process.
After the tooth is removed, the socket is sterilized, and a dental bone graft might be placed to help protect the jaw. In many cases, stitches are applied afterward to advocate healing and prevent blood loss.
Surgical Extraction
This procedure is a bit more complicated and is performed after X-Rays discover that a tooth is compacted or broken at the gum line. Local and intravenous anesthesia are both common in this procedure to ensure the patient is relaxed and doesn’t experience any pain.
This type of extraction is accomplished by creating a small incision into the gum near the affected area and then removing the problematic tooth. Some cases require the eradication of small pieces of bone in the tooth to proceed.
When Should a Tooth Be Extracted?
A lot of medical and dental practitioners prefer to save the original tooth with a crown or filling. In some unavoidable circumstances where the damage is too serious, they will recommend extraction.
Severe Cavities
When the outermost part of a tooth is in bad condition, this causes tooth decay. Once this decay begins to discolor the surface of the tooth or rot, it may have reached a state of no return.
Wisdom Teeth
Not everyone has wisdom teeth. For the ones that do, sometimes they can pose a problem says this dentist in Tampa. When wisdom teeth try to come in, they might become trapped under the gum line, which causes major pain in a lot of people. In other cases, they might cause infections, shifting teeth, and nerve pain. At this point, wisdom teeth are almost always removed surgically.
Fractured Tooth
A cracked tooth can come about due to blunt trauma, decay, age, or just from biting into hard foods. A fractured tooth might impact all or some of the layers that a tooth has, which will determine what type of extraction, if any, is needed to repair the damage.
After tooth extraction, the dentist or dental surgeon will have the patient bite firmly on gauze to expedite the clotting process. After bleeding has ceased, it should be safe to take the gauze out. For most people, it will take the jawbone a considerable amount of time to thoroughly heal, but the extraction site will allow the patient to return to normal activities after about 2-3 days.