Dental Extractions

Though saving your natural teeth is ideal, sometimes the best option is to extract a tooth that’s causing problems. Dental extractions can stop the spread of decay and infections and protect your teeth and gums. The Harvard-trained oral surgeons at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Nevada are skilled in performing simple and surgical tooth extractions, including wisdom teeth. Schedule an appointment online or over the phone at the Summerlin or East Side Las Vegas location.

Dental Extraction Q&A

When are dental extractions necessary?

There are some situations where the best option is to extract an endangered tooth. A dental extraction may be the first step before replacing your tooth with a restoration, including implants, bridges, or a denture. In other cases, the solution is to remove your tooth altogether.

Your oral surgeon may recommend an extraction for injured teeth beyond repair. If your tooth is infected, and antibiotics or a root canal cannot help, the safest route may be to extract the tooth. Extractions can also be preventive, including extracting teeth at risk of infection if you have a condition that affects your immune system.  

Advanced gum disease, or periodontitis, can cause you to lose bone mass in your jaw. When this happens, your teeth may loosen. Your surgeon may recommend extracting loose teeth, then reconstructing your jaw bone so it can support a replacement tooth.

Dental extractions may also be necessary to fix overcrowding. Your surgeon may recommend extracting crowded teeth so that you can benefit from orthodontics. 

What is wisdom tooth extraction?

Your wisdom teeth, or third molars, are the last permanent teeth to come in, usually in your late teens or early 20s. It’s common for young adults commonly to have one or more of their wisdom teeth pulled.

During childhood, when nearly all your permanent teeth come in, your jaw is still growing, so there’s usually enough room for your teeth. By the time your wisdom teeth come in, your jaw has stopped growing, so they may not erupt properly.

If your wisdom teeth are impacted and don’t fully emerge, they can lead to pain and infection. They’re difficult to keep clean, and the area easily traps food particles, creating a home for bacteria. Wisdom teeth can also damage your other teeth.

Wisdom tooth extraction is a routine procedure that relieves pain and prevents complications from impacted wisdom teeth. Your Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Nevada specialist may recommend an extraction if your impacted wisdom teeth are causing problems or at risk of doing so.

What happens during a tooth extraction?

Dental extractions from Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Nevada can be simple or surgical:

Simple

Tooth extraction is “simple” if the tooth is fully visible. You receive local anesthesia. Your surgeon loosens and removes the tooth from your mouth.

Surgical

Surgical extraction means that your tooth isn’t visible, so your surgeon needs to make incisions in your gum to access it. Once your surgeon makes any necessary incisions, they remove your tooth in the same way as a simple extraction. As needed, your surgeon stitches your gums back together to promote healing.

Your surgeon provides instructions for taking care of the treatment area after an extraction. If you’ve undergone a complicated surgical extraction, you may need to rest for a few days, follow a soft food diet, and take pain medication.

For dental extractions, schedule an appointment at Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Associates of Nevada online or over the phone.