Tooth Extractions

While we would prefer to save a tooth, sometimes it becomes inevitable that a tooth extraction is necessary. We know that the idea of extraction often makes patients nervous, but you can rest assured that we will do everything we can to keep your extraction and healing time as comfortable as possible.

While most tooth extractions can be preformed under local anesthesia (gums and bone are numb), we also offer sedation dentistry. We want to ensure that you are comfortable, so if you are concerned about your extraction procedure, please let us know so that we can discuss your sedation options. 

Preparing for Your Extraction

Tooth extractions, especially those performed on impacted teeth or wisdom teeth, are surgical procedures. We will work with you to prepare you ahead of time for your extraction and provide you with instructions to follow before and after your procedure to speed up your healing time and make the process more comfortable.

If your tooth is going to be replaced with a dental implant, we may need to perform additional procedures to fully prepare the area for implant placement. One procedure we may perform in this case is bone grafting to preserve and restore the socket. 

Types of Extractions

At our office, we perform both simple extractions and surgical extractions. One of the benefits of getting all your care at our office is that there’s no need for referrals to other dentists for more advanced procedures like surgical extractions. We can perform all the care you need right here in one convenient location.

• Simple extractions are used when the tooth is easily seen and not covered by your gum (impacted). You may receive sedation for the procedure, but often all that is needed is numbing medication. The tooth is gently lifted up with an instrument called an elevator and then removed using forceps.
• Surgical extractions are performed on teeth that are impacted or damaged in a way that makes simple extraction impossible. These extractions usually require that we open the gum and drill the tooth to make it easily accessible for removal.
• Wisdom teeth extractions are typically a type of surgical extraction. These teeth can erupt at odd angles causing crowding, cavities on adjacent teeth, and deep periodontal pockets. We like to take these teeth out before the age of 25 to avoid post operative complications and improve healing.