Dentists want to save as many teeth as possible because natural teeth typically provide the best chewing function and cosmetics for your mouth. However, there are situations in which maintaining the natural tooth in the mouth is not the best solution. Some teeth have a poor or hopeless long-term prognosis, regardless of what types of dental treatments you undergo. In these cases, the best solution is extraction of the tooth.
A tooth extraction removes the entire tooth, including the roots, from the mouth. It leaves a “socket” or hole where the roots resided within the jawbone. After an extraction, the body heals by slowly filling in the socket with bone and covering the opening with gum tissues.
We classify tooth extractions as either “simple” or “surgical”. A simple tooth extraction is one in which the tooth comes out as a single unit and requires no removal of surrounding structures. A tooth that needs a surgical extraction means that your dentist must either take the tooth out in multiple pieces or remove some surrounding tissues in order to access the entire tooth.
Extractions are necessary for a variety of reasons. Sometimes, an orthodontist requests extraction of teeth to create space in a crowded mouth. We commonly remove wisdom teeth because there is no room for them in the jaws. Other teeth must be removed because they are a constant source of infection.
You can find more information about tooth extractions in our blog.
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