Tooth Extractions

Tooth extractions aren’t always necessary, and you may wish to review other options before taking the leap. At Hampstead Smiles, Dr. Patten and Dr. Chaudhary,  provide safe tooth extractions when they’re necessary to alleviate pain or preserve your oral health. To find out if a tooth extraction is necessary in your case, call Hampstead Smiles or book your appointment online today.

Why do I need a tooth extraction?

With most tooth diseases and injuries, Dr. Patten and Dr. Chaudhary try other measures to preserve your natural tooth before resorting to an extraction. However, extractions are necessary in many cases, some of which do not involve poor health at all.

Your dentist at Hampstead Smiles may recommend or perform a tooth extraction in cases of:

• Dental emergencies (e.g. mouth injuries)
• Extreme tooth decay
• Tooth infections
• Crowding

A tooth extraction that many if not most people get at some point in their lives is a wisdom tooth extraction. Your wisdom teeth might cause crowding or become infected — both are causes for removal — but many people choose to have them extracted before they cause any issues at all.

What are the steps in a tooth extraction?

There are two main types of tooth extraction, and they require slightly different procedures. At Hampstead Smiles we specialize in simple extractions and surgical extractions, which are more complex.

In principle, simple extractions are a lot like wiggling out a loose baby tooth when you were a child. They’re used for teeth that are visible in your mouth above your gum line and don’t typically require incisions.

Your dentist carefully loosens your tooth and attempts to raise it above the gum line with a tool called a forceps. As it loosens, the ligaments around the tooth tear and the tooth breaks apart from your jawbone.

Do tooth extractions hurt?

Many patients are reluctant to get tooth extractions for fear that the process will cause a lot of pain or discomfort. Even the simple anxiety of visiting a dental office can keep people away from arriving for dental appointments, let alone the idea of coming in to have a tooth extracted.

We at Hampstead Smiles offer nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, to keep you awake but relaxed during your tooth extraction. They may also numb the area around your tooth with local anesthesia to keep you from feeling pain during the procedure.

You may feel some discomfort for a few days following the extraction, but your dentist gives you instructions and medications to minimize the pain and swelling. Sticking to your aftercare instructions also ensures that you’ll avoid an infection, which could cause a lot more pain than the recovery process alone.

To inquire about a possible wisdom tooth extraction or find out if you need a tooth pulled due to an emergency, call Hampstead Smiles or book an appointment online today.