Surgical Extractions

We all want to keep our teeth healthy for a lifetime, however, there will be occasions where you’ll need your dentist to remove a tooth for the sake of your oral health. Depending on what issues you are having with your teeth, and with the problematic tooth, in particular, you may need to have a surgical extraction performed.

When a tooth cannot be saved

Your dentist will always do their very best to save your tooth whenever possible. However, if a tooth needs to be removed for a good reason, your dentist will be doing this for the betterment of your oral health.

For example, if you have suffered an accident where your tooth is damaged beyond repair, then your dentist may need to perform a surgical extraction to remove it.

It may also be the case that you have an infected tooth that has broken down too much for it to be successfully repaired or rebuilt by using a filling or a crown.

Alternatively, if you suffer from periodontal disease. This can weaken your jaw bone and cause affected teeth to become loose. In this case, it may be safer to remove the tooth, so your dentist can treat the periodontal disease.

Wisdom teeth extraction

One of the main reasons for a surgical extraction is where an adult needs to have their wisdom teeth extracted. Wisdom teeth are known to be quite troublesome for a lot of adults, especially when they are growing in and risk pushing your molars out of line.

Because of the position and nature of wisdom teeth, they will need to be removed by surgical extraction. Since they are not easy to reach, making it difficult for your dentist to use ordinary tooth extraction methods.

Simple extractions and surgical extractions

Simple extractions can be done easily by your dentist when the tooth is visible above the gum line and can be removed using a set of forceps. The procedure is quite pain-free because your teeth will be numbed using local anaesthetic before the tooth is removed.

This is a common procedure that is done where an overcrowded jaw needs to have teeth removed to allow the dentist to fit a brace to straighten overlapping teeth.

A surgical extraction is a bit more complicated because it means your dentist will need to remove gum tissue or in some cases bone material to completely remove the tooth. The surgical procedure will require stitches afterwards to close the open wound and allow for proper healing. Your dentist will usually prescribe a course of painkillers to help manage the pain while your wound heals.

Surgical extraction aftercare

Following your surgical tooth extraction, your dentist will advise you how to take care of your healing gums and the stitches. You may find that your wound will continue to bleed for a little while following the procedure, so you need to avoid eating and drinking for a couple of hours and keep talking to a minimum to allow your mouth to rest.

Your dentist will want you to make a follow-up appointment to check on your progress and to discuss any further treatment that you may need.

For more information on our surgical extraction treatment, contact us today.