Extractions

Whether you’re making room for dentures or need to get rid of a troublesome tooth, Advanced Dental Care of Towson can ensure that your extraction is quick and painless. Mehdi Zamani, DDS, and the highly experienced team know that extractions are sometimes necessary for optimal oral health and guide you through the process seamlessly. Schedule a visit online or by phone to get started with extractions today. 

What are tooth extractions?

An extraction is the purposeful and professional removal of one of your teeth. The goal of dentistry is usually to preserve your teeth for as long as possible, but there are some situations where your oral health should remove one or more of your teeth.

What are some of the reasons for extractions?

There are a few different reasons your dentist might suggest extracting a tooth, like:

Trauma or disease

If you have a tooth that’s severely damaged or decayed, and your dentist can’t fix it with a root canal or crown, they might need to extract it from your mouth to prevent pain and the occurrence of future oral health concerns. Periodontal disease can also damage your oral architecture to the point where your teeth need extraction.

Orthodontic treatment

Extractions can help streamline your orthodontic treatment if you have severely crowded teeth. Removing one or more teeth can free up more space in your dental arch and make it easier to realign your teeth. When you have an orthodontic treatment extraction, your dentist typically removes your first premolars, the teeth right next to your eyeteeth. 

Impacted wisdom teeth

Most people don’t have enough room in their mouth for wisdom teeth, which are your third set of molars that typically emerge in your early twenties. Removing your wisdom teeth early can prevent many of the problems associated with impacted wisdom teeth, like crowding, infection, and damage to neighboring teeth.

Baby teeth

If you or your child has a baby tooth that hasn’t fallen out in the right sequence or is otherwise blocking a permanent tooth from erupting, your dentist can extract it so that the permanent tooth can properly come in.

What happens when you extract a tooth?

First, your dentist takes an X-ray of your mouth to get a better look at the position of your teeth and the state of the surrounding bone. This helps them anticipate complications and makes your extraction safer and more effective.

Next, your dentist numbs your tooth and the surrounding tissues with a local anesthetic. If you need more help relaxing or have a particularly complicated extraction, your dentist might give you additional sedation, like oral sedatives, nitrous oxide, or conscious sedation.

When extracting a tooth, your dentist keeps the surrounding bone and tissue safe. Sometimes, they might break up or section your tooth into smaller pieces before removing it. 

After the tooth is out, they might treat your empty socket with bone-grafting material to preserve the volume and integrity of your bone tissue.

After extractions, your dentist packs your socket with gauze and sometimes uses sutures to close up the extraction site. You can take ibuprofen or aspirin to mitigate any swelling or discomfort, and your dentist might also prescribe antibiotics to prevent infection. You should be back to normal within just a few days.

If you’re extracting teeth because of disease or trauma, Advanced Dental Care of Towson offers a variety of excellent replacement options, like dental implants, dentures, and bridges. 

Schedule your extraction appointment with Advanced Dental Care of Towson by calling the nearest office or booking a visit online.