Tooth Extraction Procedure
A tooth extraction procedure involves removal of a tooth from its bone socket. This is necessary in case a tooth is damaged and fixing it with a filling, crown or other treatment will no longer be feasible.
Other reasons to have a tooth extraction procedure maybe removal of extra teeth blocking other teeth from coming in; removal of swollen impacted wisdom tooth; creating room for other teeth in case of putting braces as a dental procedure; prevention of infection in people receiving radiation to the head and neck; minimizing occurrence of infection for those taking cancer drugs that weaken the immune system; and precautionary measures for those receiving an organ transplant if the teeth become sources of infection after the transplant
What is done before a tooth extraction procedure?
Before any procedure is done, the dentist or the oral surgeon will diagnose your medical and dental problem and history. He may opt to take an x-ray of the area to determine exactly what has to be done in removing the tooth. Antibiotics may be prescribed before and after surgery if there is an infection at the time of surgery. If the immune system is weak; the tooth extraction procedure will take longer; and in case of specific medical condition.
Depending on the complexity of the procedure, the dentist or the oral surgeon may recommend either a conscious sedation wherein local anesthesia will be given in the form of injection to numb the area where a tooth will be removed; or a general anesthesia wherein the patient will be sedated throughout the procedure. Specific instructions will be given to the patient on what needs to be done after the extraction to prevent complications.
Types of tooth extraction procedure performed
Tooth extraction procedure may be a simple extraction of a tooth easily seen in the mouth. General dentists do this using an injection of local anesthesia. In this extraction, the dentist grasps the tooth with forceps and moves back and forth to loosen the tooth before it is pulled out. In some instances, he may use a dental “elevator”, a dental equipment that fits between the gum and the tooth, to loosen the tooth.
A more complex tooth extraction procedure is the surgical extraction for a tooth not easily seen in the mouth such as an impacted wisdom tooth or a tooth that may have broken off at the gum line or may not have come in yet. To see and remove such tooth, the dentist or oral surgeon must cut and pull back the gum “flap” to provide access and easily remove the bone or a part of the tooth.
Surgical tooth extraction procedure extractions commonly are done by oral surgeons. They are done with local anesthesia injection to numb the area. Patients with special medical conditions and young children may be given general anesthesia where patient will feel numbness until the procedure is done. The patient may also be given steroids in the IV line to help reduce swelling after the procedure.
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