Most of our work here at Smile365 Dental in Langley, BC and the Brookswood area revolves around restoring, beautifying, and preserving teeth. However, there are times when saving a tooth is not possible. It might be severely damaged, or there might not be enough room for it in your mouth. In these and similar circumstances, tooth extractions are unavoidable. Depending on the condition of the tooth, it may require a simple or surgical extraction.
This is the familiar technique most often known as pulling a tooth. We typically take an x ray to evaluate the condition of the tooth, root, socket, and bone. This information guides your dentist in gently extracting the tooth, using low force at a precise angle. There is minimal disruption to surrounding tissue, so recovery is typically fast and free of complications.
If most or all the tooth structure is intact and visible above the gumline, then you are probably a good candidate for the standard extraction technique. For teeth than have rotted or broken off below the gumline, or those that never fully erupted (impaction), we will recommend surgical extraction. This procedure involves creating incisions in soft tissue, and possibly removing a bit of hard tissue, in order to access the tooth. The area is numbed in advance, so you won’t feel anything aside from a bit of pressure.
By the time a person reaches age 16, the jaw structure and nearly all teeth are fully developed. The exception is the third set of molars, commonly known as wisdom teeth. They erupt when a person is in his or her late teens to early twenties. Since the rest of the oral structure is already developed, it will not evolve to accommodate these late arrivals.
It there is not enough room for wisdom teeth, they become impacted with all or part of the structure developing below the gumline. As a result, nerves, bones, neighboring teeth, and other tissues are crowded. Hygiene becomes more difficult, and infection is more likely. In this case, the only solution is extraction.
When a tooth is extracted due to damage or decay, we will recommend replacing it promptly to restore functionality, health, and aesthetics. We offer several tooth replacement options, including:
If you need tooth extraction or have any other dental concerns in or around the Langley and Brookswood, BC area, please give us a call at (604) 409-8660.