Myths And Facts About A Tooth Extraction Procedure

The teeth, despite their importance and indispensability, are subject to wear and tear, like every other part of the body. The teeth are responsible for tearing, biting, chewing, and grinding of food, production of speech and pronunciation of words, and the support of the jaw and shape of the face. The teeth are used for chewing to aid easy digestion daily, and this constant use makes them prone to wear and tear. Other causes of wear and tear of the teeth include improper care for the teeth, abuse of the teeth, trauma from injuries and accidents, etc.

These can cause the teeth to become defective and become unable to carry out their functions. Even worse, some of these defects and diseases might cause you to lose your permanent teeth. The permanent teeth are a more robust version of the baby teeth which fall off at about age six to seven years. The permanent teeth, like the name implies, are meant to last you for a lifetime because there is no natural replacement for these teeth if they fall off. While these teeth do not fall out naturally, they can fall out due to injuries/accidents, defects, or can even be removed voluntarily.

Voluntary removal of the teeth is referred to as a tooth extraction procedure, and it is carried out as a last option/solution for dental problems.

Tooth extraction is a procedure through which a dentist in Pleasanton, CA, removes a tooth that is threatening the existence of other teeth or a damaged tooth with the patient under the influence of local, intravenous, or general anesthesia. Without the teeth, chewing food and pronunciation of words would be difficult and almost impossible; therefore, tooth extraction procedures are considered a last resort in dentistry. You cannot have tooth extractions near you except for cogent reasons.

Reasons for tooth extraction procedures include:

• Tooth Decay. This is the most common reason for tooth extraction. The acids produced by dental plaques (a slimy film of bacteria that sticks to the surface of the teeth) are responsible for tooth decay. They break down the tooth enamel and cause the teeth to rot. Tooth decay causes severe pain, cavities, and other dental health issues.
• Impacted teeth. These are teeth that either does not grow above the gumline or break off at the gumline. They are tough to clean, and this makes them breeding ground for plaques and bacteria.
• Overcrowded teeth. This occurs when the teeth are too big for the mouth to contain.
• Damaged teeth from failed dental procedures.
• Modifications for orthodontic devices.

Common Doubts About Tooth Extraction In Pleasanton, CA

There are common misconceptions about tooth extractions that need to be debunked. These include:

• Recovery from a tooth extraction procedure takes time: An empty tooth socket takes only about a week or two to heal after a removal. Therefore the misconception that tooth extraction recovery takes long is wrong.
• Extraction of the upper teeth affects the eyes: The extraction of the upper teeth can cause pain and swell towards the cheekbones and lower portion of the eyes. However, it does not affect vision in any way.
• Extraction of an infected or damaged tooth is always the best option: This is untrue because tooth extraction is treated as a last resort. A tooth extraction procedure is only carried out after every other treatment procedure has been exhausted.

Is Tooth Extraction Painful?

No! Before beginning a tooth extraction procedure, the patient is placed on either local, intravenous, or general anesthesia. This makes the process painless.

Tooth Extraction Process

There are two types of tooth extraction procedures. They are known as simple extraction and surgical extraction.

Simple Tooth Extraction

This tooth extraction procedure is used to extract teeth that have grown above the gumline into the mouth. Dental forceps are used to pull out the tooth after the patient has been placed under the influence of anesthesia.

Surgical Tooth Extraction

This type of tooth extraction procedure involves surgery. It is used to remove impacted teeth. After administering anesthesia, the dentist makes an incision into the gum and removes the underlying tooth.