Every visit to Dreamland Dental & Orthodontics starts with a thorough assessment of your gums, teeth, and mouth to ensure proper management of your oral health. In some cases, our dentists may recommend a tooth extraction for several reasons, including:

• Severe tooth decay
• Irreparable tooth fractures
• Impacted teeth – poor positioning
• Wisdom tooth removal

The extraction of even one tooth can affect your chewing ability and lead to a myriad of other problems such as shifting teeth and jaw joint problems, which can adversely affect your oral health. As such, our dentists will discuss with you the available tooth replacement options to maintain the optimal function and health of your mouth, as well as your smile.

The Tooth Extraction Process

During the tooth removal procedure, the dentist will numb the tooth, gums, and jawbone surrounding the affected tooth with a local anesthetic. As the dentist rocks the tooth to broaden the socket for extraction, you may feel some pressure but no pain – the pain nerves are completely numbed though pressure nerves may still be active.

Some complications may arise during the extraction, like when the tooth is firmly rooted in the socket or when it has a curved tooth, making it impossible to expand the socket sufficiently to remove it. If this happens, the dentist will have to cut the tooth into small bits or sections, and then remove each element one at a time. This is known as sectioning a tooth.

When Do You Need Tooth Grafting?

The tooth extraction process severely affects the underlying bone structure. Moreover, the absence of a tooth root may cause the bone material to gradually diminish, allowing the surrounding teeth to shift.

The bone tissue is also responsible for supporting the skin and muscle to maintain your outward cosmetic appearance. If affected, your face may exhibit signs of premature aging. To prevent this, your dentist may recommend a tooth replacement, such as an implant.

Tooth grafting is recommended to restore the underlying bone structure to its previous condition after tooth removal. Many tooth replacement procedures, especially dental implants, require that the bone tissue be as close to its original position and dimension as possible for best results.

Bone grafting is a regenerative procedure, where a bone grafting material is placed in the extraction socket to facilitate the bone regeneration process in the site and maintain the structure of the hard tissue.

Usually, allograft bone material is placed in the void left by your tooth root to promote bone growth. The role of the bone graft material is provide the structure for your own body’s cells to migrate to the socket and remodel the graft to be part of your own bone tissue.

When the site is fully healed, you can consider dental implants to restore your smile and the full function of your mouth.

When to Schedule an Appointment

Sometimes, the need for a tooth extraction is not apparent until you visit your dentist for proper diagnosis. It is recommended that you visit your dentist every six months to detect any changes in your teeth and mouth and introduce early interventions to save your natural teeth. Where extraction is inevitable, our dentists will discuss with you tooth replacement options like implants, bridges, and partial dentures.

Please contact Dreamland Dental & Orthodontics to schedule your appointment with our dentist.