Taking out a tooth is a lot easier than you might think – and a lot less painful, says Dr. Kirk Petersen, DMD, who runs Hemet West Dental Office in Hemet, California. Here, he talks about the different methods of tooth extraction.
I would say that most of the extractions that we do are just what we call simple extractions, which means that we are wedging the tooth out. One misconception about extracting teeth is that it really is a matter of pushing the tooth rather than pulling it. What we are trying to do is actually push the tooth side to side first to widen the socket that is it in. Then at that point it is fairly easy to take out.
If a tooth is badly broken, we often have to do what is called a surgical extraction. That is different from a simple extraction because it is where if the tooth is a multi-rooted tooth, we actually have to drill the roots apart and then take out each root like it’s a separate tooth. It is more difficult, but when you have a tooth extracted, the only thing that you should feel is pressure.
Five Minutes Only
Most extractions that I do are the simple and the surgical, and I would say the maximum that they take is five minutes. That is the benefit of separating the roots of the tooth prior. Chances are it’s going to fracture and it’s best to have the tooth fractured where we would prefer it to be fractured, versus where it wants to be fractured.
The other three types of tooth extraction are generally with wisdom teeth, and they are a soft tissue impaction, a partial bony impaction and full bony impaction. Those names, in a nutshell, all refer to what the tooth is covered with such as:
- The soft tissue impaction has broken through the bone but still it’s still under the gum
- The partial bony impaction has partially broken through the bone
- The full bony impaction is one that is completely still within the bone
These are extractions that are generally done by an oral surgeon, usually when the patient is asleep. Although many people think they are difficult to perform and time-consuming, for the oral surgeon the extraction part itself probably only takes about five to 10 minutes.
The information in the article is not intended to substitute for the medical expertise and advice of your healthcare provider. We encourage you to discuss any decisions about treatment or care with an appropriate healthcare provider.
