Our dentists will use every measure to prevent tooth loss, but sometimes a tooth extraction is still necessary. This might be the case when a tooth is too badly damaged to repair, a baby tooth doesn’t fall out on its own, more room is needed for teeth to move during orthodontic care, or a tooth is too far out of alignment to be corrected.

Before a tooth is removed, the dentist will take an x-ray to understand the shape and position of the tooth and surrounding bone. For a simple extraction, we will first apply a local anesthetic to prevent pain and discomfort. After the procedure, we will provide care instructions to alleviate discomfort and ensure proper healing.

Reasons For Tooth Extractions:

• A crowded mouth
• Infection
• Risk of infection

Wisdom teeth are the last molars, or “third molars,” that develop on each side of the jaws. Wisdom teeth usually emerge in the back of the mouth between the ages of 16-20.

Wisdom teeth are a valuable asset to the mouth when they are healthy and properly positioned. But when the jaw isn’t large enough to accommodate wisdom teeth, they can become impacted (unable to come in or misaligned). Wisdom teeth may also grow in sideways, emerge only partway through the gum or remain trapped beneath the gum and bone. These are all common issues that require wisdom tooth removal.

A wisdom tooth extraction is a relatively routine procedure. The dentist will numb the area in your mouth with local anesthesia or use IV sedation so you are asleep during the procedure. After the tooth is removed, we will provide care instructions to ensure proper healing.

As wisdom teeth begin to erupt, your dentist will be monitoring your mouth for the following signs:

• Wisdom teeth that are not in the right position can allow food to become trapped which allows bacteria to grow and cavities to form.
• Wisdom teeth that have not come in properly, which can make it difficult to floss.
• Wisdom teeth that have partially come through can give bacteria a place to enter the gums and cause infection. This can also cause pain, swelling, or stiffness in our jaw.
• Wisdom teeth that do not have room to come through may crowd or damage neighboring teeth
• A wisdom tooth that is impacted can form a cyst near the impacted tooth, this could damage the roots of nearby teeth or destroy the bone.

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