Tooth Extractions

What is a Tooth Extraction?

A tooth extraction commonly happens when a tooth is too badly damaged by decay, crowded mouth, infection or risk of infection can occur.

Dentists and oral surgeons (dentists with special training to perform surgery) perform tooth extractions. Before the tooth being pulled, your dentist will give you an injection of a local anesthetic to numb the area where the tooth will be removed. If you are having more than one tooth pulled or if a tooth is impacted, your dentist may use a strong general anesthetic. This helps prevent pain throughout your body and can make you sleep during the procedures.

If the tooth is impacted, the dentist will cut away gum and bone tissue that cover the tooth and then, using forceps, grasp the tooth and gently rock it back and forth to loosen it from the jaw bone and ligaments that hold it in place. In extremes cases, a tooth might need to be pulled in pieces.

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