A Tooth Extraction is a dental process of removing a decayed or damaged tooth from its dental alveolus or socket. It is also referred to as dental extraction, exodontia, or exodontics in dentistry. Tooth extraction is primarily performed by an oral surgeon or dentist. There are two types of tooth extraction processes performed by a dental surgeon – simple extraction and surgical extraction. In simple tooth extraction procedure is performed on a tooth that can be seen easily by loosening the tooth with a dental instrument named elevator and then pulling it using forceps. The surgical extraction process is a more complex dental extraction such as extracting broken off teeth at the gum line.

Reasons why you need Tooth Extraction

The most common reasons that a patient requires extracting a tooth are excessive tooth decay, tooth infection, crowding, tooth decay, periodontal disease, or dental trauma. Severe tooth decay or infection is the most common reason for tooth removal and accounts for up to two-thirds of extractions. Apart from all these common reasons where tooth extraction is required, here’re some other reasons for tooth extraction:

• A gum disease that affects the bone structure and supporting tissues of a tooth
• Supernumerary teeth or extra teeth that block other teeth from coming in
• Malformed or supplementary teeth
• Fractured teeth and other teeth in the fracture line
• Removal of a baby tooth that doesn't fall out in time
• Removal of wisdom teeth, also known as third molars, that comes in during the late teens or early 20’s. If they are infected and decayed, they can cause certain diseases such as nonrestorable caries or cysts.
• Tooth extraction for the dental cosmetic purpose to improve appearance and restoration.

If you find any of the above reasons or something else that is causing severe pain and discomfort to your oral life, then you should consider consulting with your dentist for tooth extraction treatment. He will perform a complete checkup of your dental condition and will suggest the best tooth extraction process depending on your condition. Also, he will talk about other physical and medical condition you are going through in order to decide if you are ready for the procedure or not.

If you have any of these medical conditions like diabetes, liver disease, thyroid disease, renal disease, hypertension, an artificial joint, adrenal disease, an impaired immune system, a congenital heart defect, a history of bacterial endocarditis or any other medical condition then tell your dentist about it. A professional dentist will make sure that your medical conditions are in a stable state to perform a tooth extraction surgery.

Tooth extraction is a painful process that’s why a dentist gives local anesthesia in case of simple extraction and both local anesthesia and intravenous anesthesia in case of surgical extraction. With local anesthesia, you will feel only pressure and no pain; and intravenous anesthesia makes you calm and relaxed. 

If you have found any reason for the Tooth Extraction, look for a professional and experienced dentist or oral surgeon for the treatment. You can easily search and find oral surgeons in your area by doing a little research online. Look for the services offered by a dentist before finding the right one for you; also go through the reviews and testimonials of the patients to know about his professionalism and how good he is at his work. A professional and experienced dental surgeon can make the whole tooth extraction process easy, painless, and comfortable.