A trip to the dentist can be worrying for a lot of people and often the most feared treatment is an extraction. However extractions are the last resort to keep your mouth disease free. Here at Motcomb Street Dentist we believe in “teeth for life” and will always aim for that where possible. Extractions are completely painless as they are carried out with local anaesthetic. At most you will feel pressure as the tooth is is wiggled out of its socket but at no stage will you feel pain as the area will be completely numbed.
There are numerous reasons why a tooth may need to be removed. They include but aren’t limited to a tooth having so much decay that it can’t be filled, if a tooth has been catastrophically fractured, advanced periodontal disease (gum disease) or for orthodontic reasons such as to make space for other teeth.
A very common extraction that is carried out is removing wisdom teeth. This is normally while you are in your 20s and it is typically lower wisdom teeth that cause issues. Extraction may be necessary if you experience recurrent infections called Pericoronitis. They are caused by plaque, bacteria and food getting trapped under the piece of gum that covers the wisdom tooth. A further reason for extraction is if the wisdom tooth becomes impacted against the tooth in front creating a food trap and a potential for decay to form. Again these extractions are completely painless as the area will be fully numbed. However if your case is more complex we will refer you for specialist treatment where you might have the option of sedation or general anaesthetic.