Most patients lie in the dentist’s chair with great dental anxiety as if they are going through a most painful journey to have their teeth extracted. Tooth extraction is a quite common dental procedure from which many people stay away. They usually have heightened fear regarding tooth extraction.

Tooth extraction or “pulling” a tooth is a dental procedure to remove a tooth from its socket. It can be done manually or surgically. You may have done everything to maintain your natural teeth, but, in some circumstances, tooth extractions are inevitable.

Need for Tooth Extraction

Dentists will try to preserve your natural tooth with restorative methods such as dental fillings or dental crowns in cases of a broken or damaged tooth, for example. But health providers may recommend tooth extraction if the tooth cannot be repaired anymore. Tooth extraction is considered for the following oral issues:

• Severe cavities
• A fractured tooth
• Overcrowding of teeth
• An impacted tooth
• Severe gum infection
• Infections deep into the tooth root
• Baby teeth do not fall out on time

Preparation for a Tooth Extraction

The dentist will thoroughly assess the medical and dental history of the patient by reviewing the X-rays to determine the length, shape, and position of the tooth and surrounding bone. Make sure to inform the dentist about medications, vitamins, or supplements you’re taking.

The dentist then administers a local anesthetic to numb the area around your tooth and then extracts the tooth through a simple extraction. In the case of complicated tooth extraction, the oral surgeon advises intravenous (IV) anesthesia to make you sleep during the procedure.

Simple Tooth Extraction

The dentist uses specialized dental instruments and forceps to loosen the visible tooth and extract it from the socket. As you are under a local anesthetic, the area around your tooth gets numbed and does not feel any pressure or pain during the procedure.

Surgical Extraction

Surgical tooth extraction is a complex procedure,  as the oral surgeon makes a small incision into your gum to remove the impacted tooth. Both local anesthesia and intravenous anesthesia are administered to make you calm and unconscious during the procedure.

When a dentist recommends tooth extraction, always consider that it is oral care to get you back onto a healthy smile without any infection and other oral issues. For expert dental care, visit Down to Earth Dental at 1407 W 29th St, Pueblo, CO 81008. Call us to book an appointment at (719) 546-0404.