Tooth Extraction

By Brandie Umar, Executive Director of ContentLast modified: November 29, 2011

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Tooth extraction is a common dental surgery procedure for the removal of painful, unhealthy teeth.

Teeth removal for teeth affected by decay is a routine dental surgery. Dentists remove the tooth using dental forceps to pull the tooth from the gum. Local anesthesia is used beforehand to numb the area surrounding the tooth.

A Good Candidate For Tooth Extraction

Adult teeth are frequently removed if there are too many teeth in the mouth or the tooth is mispositioned. If the tooth is damaged or is severely affected by decay, it will most likely need removing. It may also be necessary for dentists to remove teeth before a patient is fitted with dental braces.

Mispositioned teeth can affect the alignment of other teeth and damage the appearance of your smile. If dental braces cannot correct the misalignment or the tooth is painful then tooth extraction will be recommended.

Peridontal gum disease can cause the weakening or disintegration of the jawbone. If teeth are not fully supported by the jawbone, the risk of teeth falling out on their own increases and dentists will recommend the extraction ıf the tooth.

Teeth severely decayed are treated by root canal fillings, however sometimes this dental procedure is not suitable for patients and the decayed tooth will be surgically removed.

Dental surgery is commonly needed to remove wisdom teeth that do not fully emerge from the gum or are damaging the alignment of existing teeth.

Tooth Extraction Procedure

Tooth extractions are not a painful procedure as the mouth is sedated before dentists begin the surgery, however there may be some discomfort and swelling in the gum afterward.

After the anesthetic injection has numbed the tooth, dentists make an incision in the gum to access the root of the tooth. Surrounding tissue and bone may be removed to expose the tooth root in the gum. Using dental forceps, your dentist will pull the tooth from the gum.

More complex tooth extractions, for broken teeth or teeth that have not fully protruded through the gum require dental surgery to remove the tooth. Wisdom tooth removal also requires surgical removal of the tooth.

Cost Of Tooth Extraction

The cost of tooth extraction varies depending on the location of the dental clinic and the amount of dental work needed. Most routine tooth extraction procedures cost between $50 and $150 and surgical removal of teeth can range to $400 for the extraction procedure.

To learn more about Tooth Extraction, contact Dentists near you.

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

Wisdom teeth are also known as 'adult' teeth because they do not start to protrude into the mouth until adolescence. Everyone has four wisdom teeth in the back corners of their mouths. Commonly, the surgical extraction of wisdom teeth is performed because the teeth become stuck in the gum and cannot fully protrude. Impacted wisdom teeth can cause pain and discomfort and the only dental treatment is the removal of the tooth/teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth can be stuck in the jaw itself or just underneath the gum line.