Tooth Extractions

Nothing is better than a healthy set of teeth, and many advances in dentistry allow us to save teeth that we could not previously, but sometimes an extraction is necessary. Whatever your case may be, Northern Pines Dental Centre offer’s routine and surgical extractions as well as other surgical procedures you may need to have done. Please note, some cases may need to be coordinated with our Oral Surgeon.

Reasons for an extraction are:

Advanced Gum Disease. This is the #1 reason adults loose their teeth!
An abscessed tooth that cannot be saved
A tooth with decay too deep to save the tooth
A tooth that is poorly positioned and causing bone loss of neighboring teeth
A tooth that has broken at the gum line and cannot be saved
Impacted tooth (typically a "Wisdom Tooth")

Call today to schedule your visit and determine what would be the right option for you.

Surgical Extractions

Types of Extractions

Simple (routine) Extractions

A simple extraction is one in which the dentist can remove the tooth simply by loosening the gums around it, grasping the crown above the gum line with a plier-like forceps and then luxating it side to side as it loosens from the bone. Teeth are normally held into the bone by a thin sheathe of soft tissue that separates it from the bone like a sock separates a foot from a shoe. This sheathe is called the periodontal ligament, and it is this structure which helps enable the dentist to remove the tooth.

Complex (surgical) Extractions

Unfortunately, not all extractions can be done by simply luxating the tooth. What if there is nothing left above the gum line to grasp? Or what if the crown breaks off leaving the roots still in the bone? These things can and do happen, and any dentist that extracts teeth will have to deal with them routinely. In these cases, it becomes necessary to surgically remove the tooth. This is frequently accomplished by prying the root out between the root and the bone surrounding it. In the case of multiple rooted teeth, the roots are first separated so they can be removed individually. Unfortunately, not all roots or root fragments may be removed in this fashion. This means that the dentist must make an incision into the gums around the tooth and raise a flap of tissue exposing the tooth and its surrounding bone. Some of this bone may need to be removed to help remove the roots.

Impacted Teeth

When a tooth does not fully erupt into the mouth, but remains below the gums, it is said to be impacted. Impacted teeth can present special health problems for most patients, and they are generally removed to prevent future difficulties. The extraction of such teeth proceeds like the surgical extraction explained above with a few modifications.

But many times the crown is submerged below the level of the bone. The tooth may even be lying on its side under the bone, which complicates the extraction further. In these cases, not only must the dentist remove surrounding bone in order to expose the tooth, but he must cut and break the tooth itself into sections so that each section can be removed separately. Teeth in this condition are said to be "bony impactions" and are further classified as vertical, horizontal or angular depending on the angle of the tooth under the bone.

All extractions are followed by post-op instructions on how to keep area clean and healthy do that one does not get infection or a dry socket.

Post-Op Instructions: After a Tooth Extraction

After an extraction, it's important for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding and begin the healing process. That's why your dentist will ask you to bite on a gauze pad for 15 to 30 minutes after an extraction. If bleeding continues after you remove the gauze pad, place another gauze pad on the area and bite firmly for another 15 minutes. You may have to do this several times.

Dry Socket after Extraction

Dry socket is an infection in your tooth socket after a tooth is extracted. The condition usually develops when a blood clot comes loose or it is lost or when a blood clot fails to form in the socket. Dry socket occurs in approximately 5 percent of all tooth extractions. This can be treated to keep you comfortable if you contact the office.

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