Sometimes due to decay, periodontitis, trauma, or other factors, one or more teeth are damaged to the point where they cannot be restored with any of the available materials and techniques. Some other times certain teeth may be displaced or in such condition that they prevent the completion of extensive restorative or orthodontic treatments. Therefore, such teeth need to be removed from the patient’s mouth. This procedure is called tooth extraction.
Usually, the extraction can be performed using the so-called “closed” technique. The dentist uses appropriate tools – primarily elevators and forceps – to loosen the tooth’s connection to the surrounding bone and ultimately remove it. The wound heals either naturally or with additional therapeutic techniques (e.g.bone grafting), depending on the plan to restore the gap. Using local anaesthetic, the entire procedure is painless and the patient just feels some pressure from the instruments and the movement of the tooth.
In some cases the tooth cannot be extracted using the closed method, so the surgical approach will have to be used. This means the dentist will “open up” the gums to gain the necessary access or may also need to trim a bit of the supporting bone to create space for the tooth to come out. Again, local anaesthesia ensures satisfactory pain control, and the patient will only feel pressure and possibly some vibration. The healing takes a few days longer compared to a simple extraction but it is predictable and generally similar.
The gap or gaps that occur after the extraction(s) usually need to be filled with a prosthetic restoration, such as dental implants or bridgework. This way one can restore the function and natural appearance of the area, while preventing several future problems that can arise from the long-term absence of natural teeth.
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