Dental Extraction
Restoration of damaged teeth is preferable when possible, but dental extraction can become necessary when tooth decay or trauma is severe. Depending on the findings of an exam by our Tujunga dental extraction expert, extraction may be simple or surgical and may involve single or multiple teeth. Patients who have teeth extracted can often choose from a variety of tooth replacement options, such as dental implants, bridge-supported crowns and partial dentures, based on eligibility.
Extraction can become necessary for a variety of reasons. For example, long-standing tooth decay can make restoration through fillings, inlays, or onlays impossible because of a lack of remaining tooth structure. When gum disease destroys the gum tissues that support teeth, the affected teeth may require extraction to help prevent progression of the infection. Physical trauma, resulting in cracked or broken teeth, can also make extraction necessary if dental bonding or crowns cannot be used to repair the damage. Finally, our expert in dental extraction in Tujunga may recommend removal of wisdom teeth or other teeth to resolve issues of overcrowding during early development or before orthodontic treatment.
Dental Extraction Tujunga
Dental extraction can be generally divided into simple and surgical extraction methods. Because local anesthesia is used, both types of extraction are painless. During simple extraction, our Tujunga dental extraction expert removes the target tooth with forceps, which resemble pliers. Surgical extraction involves making incisions in the gums to better reach target teeth and can become necessary for teeth that are impacted or not fully erupted. Often used for wisdom teeth removal, surgical extraction may also entail breaking target teeth into pieces to simplify removal. Finally, our dentist uses forceps to take out the tooth and sutures the incisions shut.
Recovery after dental extraction can vary depending on the type of procedure used, and our expert in dental extraction in Tujunga provides specific instructions for all patients afterwards. Antibiotics and possibly pain relievers are prescribed to prevent infection and post-extraction discomfort, respectively. To learn more about dental extraction procedures and when they are used, patients can schedule a consultation with our Tujunga dentist.