Tooth Extractions
Dr. Özcan may recommend a tooth extraction(s) for a number of reasons. Some teeth are severely decayed, others may have advanced periodontal disease (gum disease), or some teeth may have broken in a way that cannot be repaired. Other teeth may need removal because they are poorly positioned in the mouth (such as impacted teeth), or in preparation for orthodontic treatment (braces).
The removal of a single tooth can lead to challenges related to your chewing ability, problems with your jaw joint, and cause the shifting of other teeth, all of which may have a significant impact on your dental health.
To avoid these complications, Dr. Özcan will discuss alternatives to extraction as well as replacement options for a tooth or teeth planned for extraction.
The Tooth Extraction Process
Extraction treatment first involves the Doctor administering local anesthetic to “numb” the tooth, the surrounding gum tissue, and the jaw bone.
The extraction process itself involves firmly applying pressure to the tooth with instrumentation, in order to progressively widen the tooth socket to facilitate removal. During the procedure, you will experience a lot of pressure, in what will seem to be a rocking type of motion. This expected pressure is felt as the local anesthetic (while “numbing” the nerves to prevent transference of pain) does not have a profound affect on the sensory transmission of pressure. One will therefore experience pressure throughout the extraction procedure, but not pain. If pain is experienced at any time, additional local anesthetic will be administered. Our objective is to provide our patients the most comfortable experience possible.
Sectioning a Tooth
Some teeth are so firmly anchored within the socket and/or have very curved roots, such that expansion of the bone alone is not enough to remove them. In these cases, the teeth require sectioning prior to removal. This is a very common procedure, for which Dr. Özcan will simply cut the tooth into sections, and remove each section one at a time.
After Tooth Extraction
For details on home care after tooth extraction, please refer to the page “After Extractions” under “Surgical Instructions”.