Tooth/ Wisdom Tooth Extraction


Tooth extraction is the process of removing the tooth from its socket called the socket in the bone. Generally, tooth extraction is applied in cases where treatment is not possible. When a tooth has significant caries, periodontal problem, or is at risk of damaging other teeth/your gums, and can’t be fixed with treatment such as a filling/crown, it may need to be extracted. Tooth extraction is only used as a last resort, depending on the circumstances and extent of the damage, there may be no other option but for a tooth/multiple teeth to be extracted.

Why is tooth extraction needed?

  • Teeth with advanced caries and irreparable loss of material.
  • Trauma and broken teeth
  • Teeth that have failed to be saved by root canal treatment.
  • Loose teeth due to gum disease.
  • Baby teeth that do not fall out when they should.
  • Not fully erupted impacted or partially impacted teeth.
  • Teeth that cause cysts or tumors.
  • Troubled teeth due to excessive position change.
  • In order to provide orthodontic treatment, tooth extraction may be needed to gain space in the jaw, although it is unproblematic.

Is tooth extraction a painful procedure?

Tooth extraction is performed under local anesthesia. In the meantime, only a feeling of pressure occurs and the procedure is completed without feeling any pain. However, you may have a little pain after the treatment. The pain that occurs is at a level that can be controlled with painkillers.

How does tooth extraction take place?

Even if we are afraid of tooth extraction, it is actually a simple procedure performed under local anesthesia. First of all, the dentist performs an examination for the general health and dental health of the patient. It examines the shape, length, position and soft tissue conditions of the tooth and surrounding bone with x-ray film, and completes the definitive diagnosis according to the situation. After the area is anesthetized with local anesthesia, the tooth is loosened with the help of an elevator and extracted with a dentist’s hammer. Depending on the situation of the case, it may be necessary to shape the bone.

Does swelling occur after tooth extraction?

The occurrence of swelling differs from person to person, depending on the position of the tooth / the difficulty of extraction. To prevent swelling, cold pads should be applied to the cheek area at intervals of 12 hours. Slight swelling in the area is normal and necessary for healing.

What is a tooth called as 20-year-old tooth?

They are usually the third molars that are expected to erupt between the ages of 17-22. Teeth that do not erupt even though it is time to erupt are called ‘impacted teeth-wisdom teeth’.

Do third molar teeth definitely need to be extracted?

If your third molar teeth are healthy in the correct position, there is no need for extraction. However, when they cause pathologies such as infection/cyst in the area, cause caries in the tooth in front of theirs, and before/after orthodontic treatments, they should be extracted.

Impacted tooth extraction is usually carried out in the area where the last tooth is in the jaws, due to the problem of third molar teeth. With the softening of the eating habits from the first ages to the present, the jaws have shrunk and the rear third molar are no longer needed. As the jaws get smaller, third molar teeth, which cannot find a place to erupt, push the front tooth and press. This pressure also causes confusion. Being too far behind prevents the surrounding gingiva from being in its normal anatomical structure and makes it easily inflamed.

What is the difference between impacted tooth extraction and tooth extraction?

Impacted tooth extraction is the surgical removal of a third molar tooth from under the mucosa (gum), while tooth extraction is the removal of apparently damaged teeth that cannot be treated.