What Is Dental Extraction?

By Author: Jeffrey Hollister
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A dental extraction, or also called as exodontia, is the removal of a tooth from the mouth. Extractions are carried out due to a wide variety of causes, including dental caries that has destroyed enough tooth structure that makes restoration impossible to be performed. Extractions of impacted or problematic wisdom teeth are done routinely, as are removal of some permanent teeth to make space for orthodontic treatment.

Taking history into account, extractions of teeth have been carried to treat different kinds of illnesses, as well as a kind of torture to acquire confessions. Prior to the discovery of antibiotics, chronic tooth infections were frequently associated with different health issues, and thus the removal of a diseased tooth was not an uncommon treatment for a variety of medical conditions. Medical instruments for teeth extractions date back hundreds of years ago. In the fourteenth century, a Frenchman invented the dental pelican, which was used through the late eighteenth century. The pelican was then replaced by the dental key, by which, consecutively, was replaced by the modern forceps in the twentieth century. ...
... As dental extractions can vary greatly in complexity, depending on the patient and the tooth condition, a wide variety of instruments exist for specific purposes.

The most common reason for dental extraction is tooth damage caused by breakage or caries. There are other reasons for extraction of tooth, such as tooth infection, extra teeth that blocks other teeth from coming out, severe gum problems that can affect supporting tissues and bone structures of the teeth, preparation for orthodontic treatment, teeth in the fracture line, fragmented teeth and inadequate space for wisdom teeth.

According to a Greer dentist, dental extractions are classified either as simple or surgical. Simple extractions are carried out on teeth that are visible in the mouth, usually under the effect of anesthetic, and only require the use of instruments to lift up or grasp the visible portions of the severed tooth. Usually, when the teeth are removed with dental forceps, slow and steady pressure is applied with controlled force.

Greenville SC dentists usually do surgical extractions to remove teeth that is not easily accessible, either due to breakage under the gum line or because they have not fully erupted. Most surgical extractions require incision. During surgical extraction, the dentist may lift up the soft tissues covering the tooth and may also remove some of the overlying and surrounding bone tissue with a dental drill. Oftentimes, the tooth may be fractured into multiple pieces to make its removal easier. Surgical extractions are typically done under a local anesthetic.

After tooth extraction, a blood clots in the socket usually within an hour. Bleeding is common in this first hour, according to a Greenville SC dentist, but its occurrence decreases quickly over time. The raw open wound overlying the dental socket takes about a week to heal. Afterwards, the socket will steadily fill in with soft gum tissue over a period of about one or two months. Final socket closure with remodeling of bone can take six months or more.