Tooth extraction is the process of removing an infected tooth from the mouth. In most cases, dentists exercise all options for saving a tooth and keeping it healthy and functional. Dentists resort to tooth extraction when there isn’t any other option left.

Tooth extraction relieves the patient from pain and can be beneficial in preventing further deterioration. It saves the body from the spread of infection. Let the experts at Icon Dental Center walk you through the basics of tooth extraction to help you understand the process and what to anticipate.  

Who Needs A Tooth Extraction?

Tooth extractions are usually performed for patients who are suffering from the following dental ailments:

Impacted Wisdom Tooth

• Wisdom teeth are known as the third molars. They often sprout out during teenage when all 28 permanent teeth are already in their place. Due to this, wisdom teeth usually do not have enough space to erupt properly. They erupt in a misaligned and overcrowded manner.

Impacted wisdom teeth emerge partially and painfully. Tooth extraction surgery is needed to remove the impacted wisdom tooth.

Infected Tooth

• Usually, dental cavities are treated through fillings or in worse cases through root canal surgery. However, when the dental infection spreads throughout the enamel and reaches the pulp, it is important to remove the infected tooth. When the infection reaches the pulp, it damages the nerves present in the root of your teeth. 

If the compromised tooth is not removed, the infection can spread to the jaw, ear, and even the brain.

Risk of infection

• Another reason to extract a tooth is to prevent the risk of infection. If a person has gone through a serious medical treatment such as chemotherapy or organ transplant, his immune system would be compromised. In such a case, even the risk of infection in a tooth can lead to dire consequences. 

Hence, in such a situation, it is recommended to pull out a tooth during the earliest stages of dental infection.

Tooth Extraction Procedure

Now that we know which situations demand tooth extraction, let us take a look at the procedure involved for tooth extractions. There are two types of tooth extractions as discussed below:

Simple Extraction

• Simple extractions are easy and not complex. They are performed for teeth that are visible inside the mouth and can be removed with relative ease. To carry a simple extraction, the area around the tooth is numbed, using local anesthesia. The tooth is extracted using an instrument called an elevator. 

The elevator unclasps the tooth from the gum. The dentist then uses forceps to remove the tooth.  No pain is felt when the extraction is performed, thanks to the anesthesia. 

Surgical extraction

• The other type of extraction is surgical extraction. A surgical extraction is performed for teeth that have either partially erupted or they broke at the gum line. It is a complicated procedure that involves making a cut into the gum to remove the broken or misaligned tooth. 

For a surgical extraction, the dentist injects local and intravenous anesthesia. Intravenous anesthesia imparts a feeling of partial sedation and the person feels relaxed. In some cases, the patient is also given general anesthesia which knocks him out completely. 

• After anesthesia kicks in, the dentist will make a small cut in your mouth. For complicated cases of an impacted tooth, the bone around the tooth has to be removed to release the teeth. 

Tooth extraction can be a little daunting but an experienced dentist knows how to carry one out seamlessly. If you are looking for an experienced dentist in Seattle and Everett, contact Icon Dental Center.