Extraction in Oakland, CA
Sometimes adults need to have a tooth pulled because of disease, decay, or physical injury. Although we at Franklin Dental Care in Oakland strive to maintain healthy teeth as often as possible, the truth is that sometimes a tooth cannot be saved. When this happens, there is a safe and painless procedure in place: tooth extraction.
Why Teeth Need to Be Pulled
There are a broad range of factors that affect whether or not teeth to be removed. One of the most common causes is decay or rot caused by an individual failing to maintain proper oral health and hygiene. Other scenarios are when the tooth is damaged from an injury or accident and cannot be saved, if the mouth is overcrowded, or if tooth decay has caused an internal infection in the pulp of a tooth.
Before any teeth are extracted, an appointment is necessary with the dentist to determine overall health and whether the tooth can be saved. The appointment will typically include a visual and tactile exam followed by x-rays to see the full extent of internal damage. Afterwards, the dentist might perform a couple of tests to see whether there is enough healthy tooth to do a filling, crown, or similar procedure to save the tooth. If this isn’t possible, then the extraction will occur.
The Process
When someone visits Franklin Dental Care in Oakland, the first step to having a tooth pulled will be numbing the area of extraction. This is to prevent any pain during the procedure. Sometimes a low grade anesthetic will be given to allow a patient to sleep if they experience anxiety during dentist visits.
Once the mouth is numb, the dentist will either pull the tooth out, or perform some adjustments in the case of an impacted target. When a tooth is impacted, some of the gum and bone tissue that is covering the target will need to be cut away. The tooth will then be gently rocked back and forth to dislodge it from the jawbone. The tooth is then pulled out and the extraction site is covered with gauze to allow a blood clot to form. Sometimes self-dissolving stitches will be placed to facilitate healing.