If a tooth has been broken or damaged by decay, we will always try to fix it with a filling, crown or other appropriate treatment. Sometimes, though, there’s too much damage for the tooth to be repaired through oral surgery. In this case, the tooth may need to be extracted.

We will use X-rays of the area to help plan the best way to remove the tooth. You may have intravenous (IV) anesthesia, which can range from conscious sedation to general anesthesia. If so, we will give you instructions to follow to prepare for that. A simple extraction is performed on a tooth that can be seen in the mouth and your Rolling Oaks Dentist will likely just perform this procedure. A surgical extraction is done when a tooth has broken off at the gum line or if the tooth is still below the gum or there are complications with the roots. Surgical extractions are done by our oral surgeon.

Most simple extractions can be done using just an injection (a local anesthetic). You may also receive medications to help you relax if this is needed. For a surgical extraction, you will receive a local anesthetic, and you may also have IV anesthesia. During a tooth extraction, you can expect to feel pressure, but you should not experience pain. If you feel any pain or pinching, tell the dentist or oral surgeon right away.

After experiencing tooth loss, trauma, gum disease, or even after tooth extraction, many dental bone grafting procedures are performed in order to restore your bone to its previous form. Many people don’t realize that if you have lost one or more teeth that are not replaced, you will start a gradual bone loss in that area. While the need for bone grafting has been significantly reduced, it has not been eliminated entirely. However, in most cases, it is now a minimally invasive procedure that can be managed quite easily.

While bone grafting can sound pretty scary at first, the truth is that bone grafting in the oral cavity today is a routine, predictable, and painless procedure. There are plenty of reasons that restoring and maintaining facial bone structure is important. For optimal results, many dental procedures require that the bone be as close as possible to its original dimension and position as possible. Sometimes the bone under your gum may not be tall or wide enough for the treatment you need. In cases like these, you will need a procedure to add bone to your jaw before implants can be placed in order for them to be stable and strong. Bone augmentation procedures usually involve adding bone or bone-like material to the jaw so that dental implants can be placed properly. Grafting procedures place a framework of material in the areas of missing bone into which these cells can enter and start the rebuilding process. Over time your cells will remodel the graft material into your own functioning bone.