Tooth Extraction
Fort Worth, TX
 Tooth extraction involves removing a tooth completely from its socket in the jaw. Although the procedure may be a bit frightening for some people, it is sometimes necessary to improve your oral health. Fortunately, modern dental techniques and anesthesia have now made the procedure virtually painless.
Reasons for Tooth Extractions
At Del Mar Dental, Dr. Bacon and strive to preserve your natural teeth. However, sometimes, tooth extraction becomes inevitable. Some reasons for that include: | • |
Severe tooth damage or decay that cannot be fixed with fillings or root canal treatment.
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Extremely loose teeth due to periodontal disease.
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Overcrowding of teeth in the mouth, resulting in misalignment of teeth which would require orthodontic treatment.
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Tooth that fails to properly erupt through the gums, as is often the case with wisdom teeth.
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Wisdom teeth that seem to be causing damage to neighboring teeth.
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Primary teeth not falling out in time to make way for adult teeth.
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Patients requiring radiation to treat oral cancer may need to get teeth in the path of the radiation removed.
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People who undergo organ transplant may have infected teeth. |
Tooth Extraction Procedures
Before extracting your tooth, we will review your medical and dental history to see if you have any health condition or are taking any medication that can have an adverse reaction to the anesthesia or the procedure. You may also be prescribed a few antibiotics to take before or after the procedure.
If you are a smoker, you will need to abstain from smoking at least a day before the extraction, otherwise, it can interfere with the healing process.
On the day of the surgery, we will give you local anesthesia to freeze the nerve in the affected area. For patients who suffer from anxiety, a mild sedative may also be given.
Tooth extraction can be done through two procedures:
Simple Extraction
This is done to extract a visible tooth in the mouth. We will use special instruments called elevators to wiggle your tooth back and forth so that its periodontal ligament breaks and it comes loose. We will then use a pair of forceps to pull out the tooth from its socket in the alveolar bone. Pain and healing time involved in a simple extraction is minimal. Typically, the pain from the procedure can be managed with oral painkillers and can disappear in as little as one or two days.
Surgical Extraction
Surgical extraction is done on teeth that have not properly erupted in the mouth or have broken off at the gumline. This procedure is more complicated than a simple extraction. Surgical extraction involves slicing open the gum tissue to reveal the tooth beneath it. We may then have to remove the surrounding jawbone tissue to get better access to the tooth. The tooth will be split into multiple segments so that it can easily be removed. You may need sutures after a surgical extraction and a more powerful painkiller than the ones given after a simple extraction. Discomfort from a surgical extraction may last for up to seven days but sometimes is resolved in just two days, as well.
Complications After Extraction
Some complications that can occur after tooth extraction are:
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Dry socket: Also known as osteitis, it can result in premature loss of blood clot.
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Delayed healing: This can be caused by medications like corticosteroids or bisphosphonates, which can interfere with the healing process. These medicines should be stopped prior to extraction.
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Bone necrosis: This may happen to patients who have been treated with radiation in the neck and head region.
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Orthodontic issues: Misalignment of teeth and collapsed bite due to missing teeth. |
If you suffer from any of the complications after your tooth extraction, contact us at (817) 710-2609 for an emergency appointment. |
