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Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery
Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket in the
bone.
If a tooth has been damaged by decay or a fracture, your dentist
will try to repair it and restore it with a filling, crown or other
treatment. Sometimes, though, the damage is too extensive for the
tooth to be repaired. This is the most common reason for extracting
a tooth.
Here are other reasons for extraction:
- Some people have extra teeth that block other teeth from coming
in.
- People have teeth associated with advanced gum disease whose supporting
bone has been damaged.
- People undergoing orthodontic work may need teeth extracted to
create room for the teeth that are being moved into place.
- People receiving chemotherapy may develop infected teeth because
chemotherapy weakens the immune system, increasing the risk of infection.
These teeth may need to be extracted.
Before doing the treatment, dentist or oral surgeon will ask about
your medical and dental histories. He or she will take an x-ray
of the area to help plan the best way to remove the tooth.
When a tooth is removed its neighboring teeth will tend to shift.
Any alignment changes that do occur can have a major impact on your
dental health. Removing tooth can lead to problems associated with
chewing ability or jaw joint function. Additionally, changed alignment
teeth can became traps for food or be harder to clean thoroughly.
To avoid these problems, in most case your dentist will probably
recommend to you that you replace any tooth that has been extracted
with an artificial one.
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