If you have a problem tooth, your dentist can determine if they can restore it with root canal therapy. However, if a tooth extraction is necessary, we will work with you to create a custom and comfortable general dental treatment plan.
Dr. Sulekha Agrawal offers tooth extractions in her Columbia, MD dental office. Typically, tooth extractions are complete in just one visit to Columbia Family Dental Care. Dr. Agrawal also offers dental sedation so patients feel comfortable and relax during their treatment. Tooth extraction may become necessary to remove infected, overcrowded, or severely damaged teeth. Wisdom tooth extractions are some of the most common extraction procedures.
Removing Wisdom Teeth in Columbia, MD
One of the most common types of tooth extractions is wisdom teeth removal. Wisdom teeth typically come in when patients are in their late teens or early twenties. If you feel pain behind your molars, Dr. Agrawal can take x-rays of your teeth to see how the wisdom teeth are coming in.
For most people, there is a higher chance of their wisdom teeth causing more harm than good. This is why it has become standard practice to simply remove the. They sit very far back in your mouth and are difficult to keep clean.
In some cases, you will need to remove impacted wisdom teeth. Impacted wisdom teeth are below the surface of the gums and cannot erupt properly. They can cause pain, infection, and swelling. If you need a wisdom tooth extraction, Dr. Agrawal will discuss how many wisdom teeth she will remove and will give you post-op care instructions. Patients who undergo wisdom teeth extraction require someone to drive them to and from their appointment.
Types of Extractions
There are two types of tooth extractions simple and surgical.
A simple tooth extraction is an easy procedure that the dentist can perform in under an hour depending on how many teeth they are removing. We will use a local anesthetic to make sure you do not feel any pain during the procedure. Once the area around the tooth is numb, the dentist will gently rock the tooth back and forth with special tools before pulling it out.
A surgical extraction requires surgical tools and is more complicated. Dentists use this method when the teeth that need to be removed are located below the gum line. The dentist will need to open up the gums and then remove the tooth. They will use sutures to close the gums up. This is considered a surgical procedure however, most patients handle it quite well.
Restoring Missing Teeth
If we extract infected or damaged teeth that are in the smile zone, we may offer dental implants and implant-secured dental restorations. Once the tooth socket fully heals and is healthy, we can begin implant treatment. We always ensure that patients have gums and teeth free from infection before dental restorations. This ensures that the implants do not fail.
Single dental implants help support the jaw structure and prevent teeth from shifting to accommodate for the tooth gap. Dental implants can support dental bridges or dentures to replace multiple missing teeth. These implant restorations help maintain a healthy face shape and make it easier to bite and chew.