Extractions

Dr. Foksa will do whatever he can to save your tooth. If a tooth has been broken or damaged by decay, Dr. Foksa will try to fix it with a filling, crown or other treatment. Sometimes, though, the damage is too extensive for the tooth to be repaired and extraction is necessary. Tooth decay that has destroyed enough tooth structure to prevent restoration is the most frequent indication for extraction of teeth. Other indications are related to impacted or problematic wisdom teeth, or to orthodontic treatment, in some particular cases, when space has to be created to properly align teeth.

Wisdom teeth are often extracted either before or after they come in. They commonly come in during the late teens or early 20s. These teeth often get stuck in the jaw (impacted) and do not come in. They need to be removed if they are decayed or cause pain. Some wisdom teeth are blocked by other teeth or may not have enough room to come in completely. This can irritate the gum, causing pain and swelling. In this case, the tooth must be removed.

There are two types of extractions:
A simple extraction is performed on a tooth that can be seen in the mouth. Most of these can be done using a local anesthetic.

A surgical extraction involves teeth that cannot be seen easily in the mouth, teeth that may have broken off largely, especially at the gum line or they may not have erupted yet. Dr. Foksa may decide to refer a surgical extraction to a trusted oral surgeon.

Most simple extractions do not cause much discomfort after the procedure. Because surgical extractions are more complicated, they generally cause more pain after the procedure. The level of discomfort and how long it lasts will depend on the difficulty of the extraction. Dr. Foksa will prescribe medicine to alleviate the pain.