Common Tooth Extraction Situations
Extraction becomes necessary when a tooth is too damaged to save or when keeping it would jeopardize your overall oral health:
Severe Decay or Infection
When decay reaches deep into a tooth and a root canal can’t resolve the infection, extraction prevents the infection from spreading to surrounding teeth and bone. An abscessed tooth that doesn’t respond to antibiotics and endodontic treatment needs removal to eliminate the source of infection.
Advanced Gum Disease
Periodontal disease can loosen teeth by destroying the bone and tissue that hold them in place. When a tooth becomes so mobile that it can’t function properly and threatens the health of neighboring teeth, extraction allows you to replace it with a stable restoration.
Impacted Wisdom Teeth
Third molars often lack sufficient room to emerge properly, becoming trapped beneath the gum tissue or growing at awkward angles. Impacted wisdom teeth cause pain, crowd other teeth, and create pockets where bacteria thrive. Dr. Igor Lantsberg evaluates wisdom teeth positioning through X-rays and recommends extraction when they pose current problems or likely future complications.
Overcrowding
Sometimes orthodontic treatment requires removing one or more teeth to create space for proper alignment. Strategic extractions allow the remaining teeth to move into ideal positions during orthodontic correction.
Broken Teeth Beyond Repair
Teeth fractured below the gumline or shattered into multiple pieces often can’t be restored with crowns or other treatments. Extraction removes the damaged tooth so you can pursue replacement options like dental implants or bridges.
The Extraction Process and Recovery
Simple extractions involve teeth that are visible above the gumline and can be removed without cutting into bone or tissue. The area gets numbed with local anesthetic, the tooth is loosened with special instruments, and then removed with forceps. You’ll feel pressure but not pain during the procedure.
Surgical extractions handle more complex situations—impacted teeth, roots that have curved or hooked into bone, or teeth that have broken off at the gumline. These procedures require incisions in the gum tissue and sometimes removal of small amounts of bone to access the tooth. The tooth might be sectioned into pieces for easier removal. Stitches close the incision afterward.
Recovery from extractions varies based on complexity. Simple extractions typically involve mild discomfort for a few days, manageable with over-the-counter pain relievers. Surgical extractions cause more swelling and discomfort that peaks around the second or third day, then gradually improves. Ice packs, prescribed pain medication, and sticking to soft foods help you get through the healing period comfortably.
The most important recovery rule is protecting the blood clot that forms in the extraction site. This clot is essential for proper healing. Avoid drinking through straws, smoking, or vigorous rinsing for at least 72 hours—these actions can dislodge the clot and cause a painful condition called dry socket.
Bone Grafting for Implant Success
When you lose a tooth, the surrounding bone begins to deteriorate because it no longer receives stimulation from the tooth root. If too much bone loss occurs before you’re ready for an implant, there won’t be enough structure to support the titanium post. Bone grafting rebuilds the area by adding bone material that your body gradually replaces with new, natural bone.
The grafting material might come from your own body (harvested from another area), a donor source, or synthetic materials. During the procedure, the graft material is placed into the deficient area and covered with a protective membrane. Over several months, your body incorporates the graft and generates new bone tissue. Once sufficient bone density develops, implant placement can proceed.
Socket preservation is a specific type of bone graft performed immediately after tooth extraction. Instead of allowing the empty socket to collapse and shrink during healing, graft material fills the space and maintains the bone volume. This proactive approach makes future implant placement much simpler and often eliminates the need for more extensive grafting later.
Other Surgical Procedures for Oral Health
Oral surgery in Greer encompasses additional procedures beyond extractions and grafting:
Exposure of Impacted Teeth
Sometimes, teeth that should have erupted remain trapped beneath gum tissue. Orthodontists may need these teeth exposed surgically so they can attach brackets and guide the tooth into the proper position. A small incision reveals the tooth, an orthodontic bracket is bonded to it, and the orthodontist uses the attached chain to gradually pull the tooth into alignment.
Frenectomy
The frenum is a small fold of tissue connecting your lips to your gums or your tongue to the floor of your mouth. When these attachments are too tight or positioned incorrectly, they can cause gaps between teeth, interfere with speech, or make breastfeeding difficult for infants. A frenectomy removes or repositions this tissue to eliminate these problems.
Biopsy of Suspicious Tissue
Any unusual growth, lesion, or discoloration in your mouth deserves evaluation. If visual examination raises concerns, a biopsy removes a small tissue sample for laboratory analysis. This procedure identifies potentially serious conditions early when treatment is most effective.
Oral Surgery in Greer, SC
Putting off necessary oral surgery only allows problems to worsen and become more complicated to treat. Whether you’re dealing with a painful wisdom tooth, advanced decay, or inadequate bone for implants, timely surgical intervention resolves the issue and sets you up for better long-term oral health.
Contact Twin Falls Family Dentistry in Greer to discuss your oral surgery needs and schedule a consultation that addresses your specific situation with expert care.