Tooth Extraction

Dentistry is not expensive but neglect is…..goes a dental saying. Losing a tooth can be a big blow to your smile and eating habits, but may be inevitable at times. We at Positive Dental health, make tooth extraction a last resort if restoration is not possible or where it is the desire of the patient after discussing all the available options. Make sure not to neglect your dental health to keep your pearls in top shape.

Tooth Extraction

What is it?

Tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket in the bone. If a tooth has been broken or damaged by decay, your dentist will try to fix it with a filling, crown or other treatment. Sometimes, though, there’s too much damage for the tooth to be repaired. In this case, the tooth needs to be extracted.

Reasons for Pulling Teeth

Although permanent teeth were meant to last a lifetime, there are a number of reasons why tooth extraction may be needed. A very common reason involves a tooth that is too badly damaged, from trauma or decay, to be repaired. Other reasons include:

Crowded mouth: Sometimes dentists pull teeth to prepare the mouth for orthodontia. The goal of orthodontia is to properly align the teeth, which may not be possible if your teeth are too big for your mouth. Likewise, if a tooth cannot break through the gum (erupt) because there is not room in the mouth for it, your dentist may recommend pulling it.

Infection:  If tooth decay or damage extends to the pulp — the center of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels — bacteria in the mouth can enter the pulp, leading to infection. Often this can be corrected with root canal therapy (RCT), but if the infection is so severe that antibiotics or RCT do not cure it, extraction may be needed to prevent the spread of infection.

Risk of infection: If your immune system is compromised (for example, if you are receiving chemotherapy or are having an organ transplant), even the risk of infection in a particular tooth may be reason enough to pull the tooth.

Periodontal (Gum) Disease: If periodontal disease — an infection of the tissues and bones that surround and support the teeth — have caused loosening of the teeth, it may be necessary to the pull the tooth or teeth.
tooth-extraction

Preparation:

Before pulling the tooth, your dentist will give you an injection of a local anesthetic to numb the area where the tooth will be removed.

Pulling a Tooth (Tooth Extraction)

The dentist will use luxators to loosen the tooth and forceps to grasp the tooth and gently rock it back and forth to loosen it from the jaw bone and ligaments that hold it in place. Once the tooth is loose it is pulled out with a slight amount of pressure. Sometimes, a hard-to-pull tooth must be removed in pieces.

Once the tooth has been pulled, a blood clot usually forms in the socket. The dentist will pack a gauze pad into the socket and have you bite down on it to help stop the bleeding..

What to Tell Your Dentist before You Have a Tooth Pulled

Although having a tooth pulled is usually very safe, the procedure can allow harmful bacteria into the bloodstream. Gum tissue is also at risk of infection. If you have a condition that puts you at high risk for developing a severe infection, you may need to take antibiotics before and after the extraction. Before having a tooth pulled, let your dentist know your complete medical history, the medications and supplements you take, and if you have one of the following:
  • Damaged or man-made heart valves
  • Congenital heart defect
  • Impaired immune system
  • Liver disease (cirrhosis)
  • Artificial joint, such as a hip replacement
  • History of bacterial endocarditis

 

Location

Address:
Unit 74/20
Bindubi Street,
Macquarie. ACT 2614

Telephone:
02 6162 0004

Services

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