Tooth Extractions
Escanaba, MI

Posted on 11/9/2020 by Dr. Hallas

Image of a doctor handling a 3D diagram of a lower jaw with teeth. One tooth is getting removed. Why Are There Several Types of Tooth Extractions?

Your teeth are a very important feature within your mouth, performing essential functions such as chewing food or controlling air flow for proper speech. At Bay Lakes Center for Complex Dentistry, we use top of the line dental equipment and techniques to keep your teeth clean and healthy. However, sometimes accidents happen, and a tooth becomes compromised. We do our very best to save damaged teeth, but there are times when a tooth must be extracted.

Why Might You Need an Extraction?

Extractions are the last option when no restorative options work to save a damaged tooth. There are a few different reasons you might need a tooth extracted:

•	Your tooth is seriously damaged. You may have a crack that extends below the gum line, or is completely shattered.
•	Significant tooth decay, where most of your tooth is missing, and a filling would only destroy it.
•	You have an impacted tooth. This is a common issue for wisdom teeth.
•	You need braces, and your mouth is too crowded. In cases like this, a tooth may be removed to make room to form a proper alignment.
•	You have a compromised immune system, and a tooth is at risk for infection.

Types of Extractions

There are two types of extractions. The first is a simple extraction. This type of extraction only requires that the tooth be loosened and removed.
The other type of extraction is a surgical extraction. Surgical extractions are often performed in the event of an impacted tooth or one that is severely damaged.

Extraction Procedure

Before you undergo a tooth extraction, we will first perform a thorough examination, which will include the use of digital X-rays to assess the damage under the gum line. With a thorough exam, we can determine that no other restorative treatment will work and that an extraction is the best course of action.

On the day of your extraction, we will administer a local anesthetic. If necessary, we may also provide you with a sedative to help make you comfortable and allow you to relax. If your extraction is a simple one, we will rock the tooth back and forth, with the help of forceps, in its socket, widening it. When it is wide enough, we lift the tooth out.

Surgical extractions are a more involved procedure. After your anesthesia has taken effect, we make an incision near the damaged tooth, which provides us access to the bone and the root of the tooth. Any bone in the way of the root will be removed. Then the tooth will be removed, piece by piece if it is shattered, or needs to be cut for easier removal. Once finished, we will stitch the site closed.

No matter which type of extraction you have, you will be provided with a set of aftercare instructions that will inform you how to deal with common extraction issues, such as pain and swelling. You should start feeling like yourself in just a matter of days.

If you have damaged a tooth, be sure to contact Bay Lakes Center for Complex Dentistry at (906) 212-4725 right away. While we will do everything we can to save your tooth, if an extraction is necessary, you can rest easy knowing you are in good hands!

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(906) 212-4725

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