Tooth Removal

A Tooth removal or dental extraction is the removal of teeth from the tooth socket in the alveolar bone. Teeth removal are performed for a wide variety of reasons, but most commonly to remove teeth which have become unrestorable through tooth decay, gum disease, or dental trauma, especially when they are associated with toothache. Sometimes impacted wisdom teeth (wisdom teeth that are stuck and unable to grow normally into the mouth) cause recurrent infections of the gum and may be removed when other conservative treatments have failed like cleaning, antibiotics and operculectomy . In orthodontics, if the teeth are crowded, healthy teeth may be extracted (often premolars) to create space so the rest of the teeth can be straightened.

Extractions are often categorized as "simple" or "surgical".

Simple extractions are performed on teeth that are visible in the mouth, usually with the patient under local anaesthetic, and require only the use of instruments to elevate and/or grasp the visible portion of the tooth. Typically the tooth is lifted using an elevator, and using dental forceps, specific tooth movements are performed (e.g. rocking the tooth back and forth) expanding the tooth socket. Once the periodontal ligament is broken and the supporting alveolar bone has been adequately widened the tooth can be removed. Typically, when teeth are removed with forceps, slow, steady pressure is applied with controlled force.

Surgical extractions involve the removal of teeth that cannot be easily accessed or removed via simple extraction, for example because they have broken under the gum or because they have not erupted fully, such as an impacted wisdom tooth. Surgical extractions almost always require an incision.