You and Dr. Wilburn may determine that you need a tooth extraction for a number of reasons. Some teeth are extracted because they are severely decayed; others may have advanced periodontal disease, or have broken in a way that cannot be repaired. Other teeth may need removal because they are poorly positioned in the mouth (such as impacted teeth), or in preparation for orthodontic treatment.
The removal of a single tooth can lead to problems related to your chewing ability, problems with your jaw joint, and shifting teeth, all of which can have an impact on your dental health.
To avoid these complications, in most cases, Dr. Wilburn will discuss options for replacement of the extracted tooth or teeth.
The Extraction Process
At the time of extraction the doctor will need to numb your tooth, jawbone and gums that surround the area with a local anesthetic.
During the extraction process you will feel a lot of pressure. This is from the process of firmly rocking the tooth in order to widen the socket for tooth removal.
You can feel this pressure without pain because the anesthetic has numbed the nerves that feel pain, but the nerves that transmit pressure are often not as profoundly affected.
If you do feel pain at any time during the extraction please let us know right away so that we can take steps to more thoroughly numb the “pain” nerves.
Sectioning a tooth
Some teeth require sectioning. This is a very common procedure done when a tooth is so firmly anchored in its socket or the root(s) are curved or the socket can’t be expanded enough to remove it. The doctor simply cuts the tooth into sections with a drill then removes each section one at a time.
