Tooth Extraction

Tooth extractions, or dental/surgical extractions, are the bread and butter of oral and maxillofacial surgeons. It is the procedure we do most commonly. Why would teeth, besides wisdom teeth, need to be extracted?

There are many reasons why non-wisdom teeth may need to be extracted. (These include molar tooth extractions, premolar tooth extractions, etc) One reason is that the teeth may be infected. There may be a cavity in the tooth that has destroyed so much of the tooth structure that there is no way a dentist can save it. Sometimes the tooth is causing pain, and extraction of the tooth is an emergency, but sometimes the tooth is asymptomatic. Second, a tooth may be fractured. If you are chewing something really hard and you break your tooth in such a way that it cannot be fixed, the tooth will need to be extracted. A third reason is that there is no room for the tooth in the mouth, (for example, premolars in a growing teen), and so even healthy teeth may need to be extracted.

No one wants to lose their teeth, at least not their permanent teeth! Besides the actual procedure itself, emotionally the idea can be daunting. At Elite Oral and Facial Surgery, we have a caring team that will take you through make the process and make it as easy as possible. Dr. Rosenfeld will review your x-rays and explain why the tooth or need need to be extracted. She will then explain the options for anesthesia. The actual procedure itself should be virtually painless, you should not be in any discomfort- this is thanks to local anesthesia (numbing medicine). But depending on your level of anxiety and ability to tolerate sitting through the procedure, you may elect to supplement the local anesthesia with either laughing gas or IV sedation. Dr. Rosenfeld will go over these options in detail and help you decide which option is right for you.