Impacted molar on the lower right
side requiring a surgical extraction.
At Parramatta Dental Studio we endeavour to retain an individual’s natural dentition wherever possible. The decision to remove a tooth is not taken lightly. There are many factors to consider before the removal of a tooth is included in the definitive treatment plan.
The dentist will ask you some questions related to your health and the tooth and then assess your whole mouth, do some investigations including relevant x-rays, formulate a diagnosis and then discuss with you your treatment options, risks and benefits.
There are many reasons that a tooth may require removal. Some examples of these are as follows:
-Wisdom teeth may require removal because they are impacted, difficult to clean and causing irritation and infection in the surrounding gums, dental decay due to plaque traps, braces or be associated with some pathology e.g. cyst
-Un-erupted teeth can sometimes require removal as they can cause problems to the roots of other teeth such as resorption or be associated with some pathology like a cyst
-Periodontal or gum disease can cause teeth to become mobile or loose and these teeth will require removal because of the lack of bone support
-Cracked or broken teeth where root canal therapy has been attempted and no alleviation of symptoms or decay has progressed to the level of the bone and a restoration or filling of that tooth comes with a poor long term prognosis
-Difficulty in cleaning, poor oral hygiene, lifestyle modifications or quality of life and head and neck radiotherapy are also predisposing risk factors that may require a tooth or teeth to be removed
Once it has been decided that a tooth requires extraction, the dentist would determine the difficulty of the extraction and make the assessment as to whether the procedure should be performed in the routine dental chair setting under local anaesthesia or in a day surgery or hospital setting under intravenous sedation or general anaesthesia. A surgical dental extraction sydney involves more preparation and clinical time for the removal of a tooth and can involve the gum and supporting structures of the tooth to be extracted.
The final decision is made with the following considerations; patient age, medical history and acceptance of dental treatment as well as the difficulty of the extraction and the number of teeth to be removed. All treatment modalities have risks and benefits as well as possible complications post operatively hence the importance of the discussion with the treating dentist. Some of these complications can include nerve, tooth and jaw damage and discomfort, dry socket or wound infection or excessive bleeding and bruising all of which the treating dentist would make their best efforts to minimise the occurrence.
As with any surgical procedure there would be post operative instructions that need to be followed so that the above complications are reduced in severity or less likely to occur. The main focus is to keep the area as clean as possible to prevent infection and reduce the amount of discomfort. This can involve a soft diet for several days, gentle cleaning of the wound combined with rinsing with some warm salty water and using ice packs to reduce any swelling. Over the counter analgesics can be used and the dentist may see it fit to prescribe a course of antibiotics.
As previously mentioned options for replacement of teeth are important also and can be considered during the healing process. Generally, some of these options include dental implants, bridge (using adjacent teeth to support the missing tooth), bonding with filling material or the use of a partial or full denture. These options are very case dependent and would be discussed with the treating dentist in due course.
Mobile teeth due to lack of bone
support and gum disease