Tooth Extraction Services in Morgantown, WV

Pulling a Tooth Takes Special Care – Call Amy Everett DDS & Associates

When you were six, losing a tooth was a rite of passage, perhaps achieved by incessant tooth jiggling, biting into a crisp apple, or tying a string around the tooth and giving it a tug. As an adult, tooth loss is hardly a cause for celebration, yet having a tooth pulled is sometimes necessary. Amy Everett DDS & Associates serves the Morgantown region with the best tooth extraction services for you and your family. Call us at (304) 599-1234 anytime to arrange your visit.

Reasons for Pulling Teeth: Crowding, Infection, Gum Disease

Although permanent teeth were meant to last a lifetime, there are several reasons for dentists to recommend tooth extraction. A very common reason involves not being able to repair a tooth damaged badly due to trauma or decay. Other reasons include:

A crowded mouth: Sometimes dentists pull teeth to prepare the mouth for orthodontia. The goal of orthodontia is to properly align the teeth, which may not be possible if your teeth are too big for your mouth. Likewise, if a tooth cannot break through the gum (erupt) because there is not room in the mouth for it, your dentist may recommend pulling it.

Infection: If tooth decay or damage extends to the pulp—the center of the tooth containing nerves and blood vessels—bacteria in the mouth can enter the pulp, leading to infection. Root canal therapy (RCT) may correct the problem, but if the infection is so severe that antibiotics or RCT do not cure it, the tooth may need extraction to prevent the spread of infection.

Risk of infection: For an individual with a compromised immune system (for example, if you are receiving chemotherapy or are having an organ transplant), the risk of infection in a tooth may be reason enough to pull the tooth.

Periodontal (Gum) Disease: If loosening of the teeth occurs due to periodontal disease—an infection of the tissues and bones that surround and support the teeth—it may be necessary to the pull the tooth or teeth.

What to Expect with Tooth Extraction

Dentists and oral surgeons (dentists with special training to perform surgery) perform tooth extractions. Before pulling the tooth, your dentist will give you an injection of a local anesthetic to numb the area where they will remove the tooth. If you are having more than one tooth pulled or if a tooth is impacted, your dentist may use a strong, general anesthetic. This will prevent pain throughout your body and make you sleep through the procedure. If the tooth is impacted, the dentist will cut away gum and bone tissue covering the tooth and then, using forceps, grasp the tooth and gently rock it back and forth to loosen it from the jaw bone and ligaments that hold it in place. It is sometimes necessary to remove a hard-to-pull tooth in pieces.

Post-Extraction Care and Advice

After pulling the tooth, a blood clot usually forms in the socket. The dentist will pack a gauze pad into the socket and have you bite down on it to help stop the bleeding. Sometimes, the dentist will place a few stitches—usually self-dissolving—to close the gum edges over the extraction site.

Sometimes, the blood clot in the socket breaks loose, exposing the bone in the socket. This is a painful condition called dry socket. If this happens, your caring Amy Everett DDS & Associates dentist will likely place a sedative dressing over the socket for a few days to protect it as a new clot forms.