Extractions

The goal of dentistry is to promote good oral health and comfort so that you can lead a healthier life and eat the foods you love. We recommend dental extractions only as a last resort to protect your health, eliminate symptoms, or reduce pain – and it is never a recommendation that we make lightly.

Conditions That May Require a Tooth Extraction

If you have injuries involving your head and neck, it is essential to seek immediate medical treatment. We can address your dental concerns once any life-threatening injuries have been ruled out.

Common conditions requiring dental extraction:

• Overcrowding
• Wisdom teeth
• Non-restorable fractures
• Advanced periodontal disease
• Unsuccessful root canal therapy
• A tooth broken at the gumline
• Trauma due to an accident

In many cases, we can plan for tooth replacement treatment before beginning your extraction so that we have a plan in place to restore your smile. In cases of overcrowding or wisdom tooth extractions, we will not need to replace missing teeth.

Personalized Dental Treatment Options

Our dentists will explain all your options and help you make a confident decision regarding your oral health.

We understand that many of our patients have concerns about dental extractions. Will it hurt? What will happen to my oral health? How will it affect the appearance of my smile?

We'll take the time to make sure that we address all these concerns and answer your questions.

Your Dental Extraction Procedure

We make patient comfort a top priority. Our dentist will always use appropriate levels of anesthetic and wait for it to take effect before beginning. Our team communicates well and will be here to answer your questions. Together, we will design a solution that addresses each of your concerns.

We strive to provide efficient, effective, and successful dental extractions so that you can get on the road to recovery quickly.

Surgical extractions involve teeth that have not fully erupted from the gums. This often occurs when there is not enough space for the tooth or it is growing in at an angle. This condition, known as impaction, often causes pain and jaw discomfort. Removing your tooth can dramatically improve your comfort and protect your remaining teeth.

Simple extractions involve teeth that have erupted fully from the gums. In the case of simple extractions, we can see the crown of the tooth before we begin. They usually do not require stitches during the healing process.

Properly caring for your surgical site is critical:

Why Do I Need Bone Grafting?

For a dental implant to be successful, a certain amount of bone must exist in the jaw to completely surround the dental implant. The bone gives the dental implant stability and strength to support the forces of chewing.

In certain situations, either due to genetics or to the gradual bone resorption that occurs when a tooth is missing, you may not have enough bone where your natural tooth used to be. If you do not have enough jawbone in the area, we will not be able to place a dental implant. However, our oral surgery specialists can add bone to the area in a procedure called bone grafting. A bone graft will allow you to receive the dental implant you need. 

What Is the Bone Grafting Process?

When you meet with our oral surgery specialist about dental implant treatment, we will use imaging diagnostics to determine how much bone you have in your jaw. If you lack enough bone to support a dental implant, we will discuss a bone grafting treatment plan with you.

In the bone grafting procedure, your oral surgery specialist will add special bone grafting material to your jawbone. If the amount of bone needed is minor, we may be able to place the dental implant in the same procedure. If not, you’ll return to our oral surgery office in a few months after the area has had time to heal.

The timing of placing the dental implant after the bone grafting is important to avoid bone resorption, and your oral surgery specialist will schedule your dental implant procedure with that in mind.

Who Is a Good Candidate for Bone Grafting?

While dental implants are fast becoming the treatment of choice for replacing missing teeth, some patients may not be good candidates for either dental implants or bone grafting. In these cases, we may recommend a dental bridge or another restorative dental treatment.

The best way to find out if you’re a good candidate for bone grafting or dental implants is to visit our oral surgery office for a tooth replacement evaluation.

• Gently clean the area.
• Avoid smoking cigarettes or drinking through a straw.
• Avoid chewing on the area during the healing process.
• Follow aftercare instructions provided by your dentist.

Contact us to schedule an evaluation to get important answers regarding your oral health and smile.

We look forward to welcoming you to our dental practice.