Dental extractions are among the easiest and best ways to get relief from a toothache.\u00a0 As the name implies, an extraction involves removing the tooth.\u00a0 If your pulp has died or the tooth has become severely infected, extraction may be your only route.\u00a0 Depending on the tooth, the dentist can do either a simple extraction or a more complicated extraction.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
These types of extractions, the simple extractions, are the most common in the world of dentistry.\u00a0 During a simple extraction, the dentist will remove the tooth by loosening the gums around the socket.\u00a0 He will grasp the tooth with forceps and move it from side to side until he can get it to break free from the socket and remove it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
The teeth are held to the bone by a thin piece of soft tissue.\u00a0 This soft tissue is known as the periodontal ligament.\u00a0 The dentist uses this tissue to remove the tooth.\u00a0 As you may know, the key to removing a tooth by pulling is to rock the tooth from side to side, which enlarges the socket in the bone and breaks the ligament that helps to hold the tooth in place.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Simple extractions, also known as pulling, don\u2019t take long to complete.\u00a0 The dentist will numb you before he starts, so you won\u2019t feel anything.\u00a0 Depending on the tooth, pulling it will normally take just a few minutes after you have been numbed with local anesthesia.\u00a0 Once completed, the dentist will place gauze in your mouth to bite on and you will be free to go.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As we all know, not all teeth can be pulled.\u00a0 Sometimes, the tooth will be so decayed or broken off that the dentist will have nothing to grasp above the gum line.\u00a0 In cases such as this, the dentist will need to perform a more complicated extraction, which involves getting the tooth out below the gum line, as he won\u2019t be able to use the standard method of pulling and rocking.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
These types of extractions involve the dentist making an incision in the gums around the tooth, and raising the flap he cut to expose the bone.\u00a0 Once he has exposed the bone, there may be enough of the tooth exposed for the dentist to grab and remove it using the pulling method.\u00a0 In most cases however, the tooth will be embedded in the bone, meaning that the dentist will be unable to pull the tooth out.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
With teeth that are imbedded in the bone, the dentist will need to use a drill and chip away at the bone to get to the tooth.\u00a0 This is known as cutting the tooth out, and happens to be very common with impacted teeth or teeth that are severely decayed.\u00a0 Once the dentist has cut his way to the tooth and removed it, he will sew back the flap of skin that he cut to get to the tooth.\u00a0 The flap of skin and the socket will heal over time – providing you take care of it.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Dental extractions are very common, and happen on a daily basis for dentists.\u00a0 Oral surgeons are the best for extractions, as extractions are all they do.\u00a0 All types of extractions, even the most complex, will take time to heal.\u00a0 As long as you take care of your extraction site, you\u2019ll avoid common pitfalls such as dry sockets and other mishaps.\u00a0 Although they can be painful once the procedure is over – you\u2019ll eventually start to feel a lot better once you have had the tooth or teeth removed.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"