Tooth extraction sounds frightening. At Kensington Dental Clinic in Edmonton, Alberta, we try to explain to our patients that tooth extractions are less intimidating than they sound and that we’ll do everything we can to make them comfortable. We get referrals from some dentists for tooth extractions. Patients are often panicking because they weren’t told anything else. When people are left to their imagination, they can think of worst-case scenarios, which is understandable. At Kensington Dental Clinic, we perform several tooth extractions weekly and have lots of training in that aspect. You’ll have nothing to worry about.

Extractions

At Kensington Dental Clinic, we are trained to perform a tooth extraction procedure, to remove a tooth from the mouth. There are a number of reasons why a dental extraction may need to be performed. Most commonly, tooth extraction is performed when the tooth has decayed or been damaged to a point where it can not be restored. Other common reasons for requiring tooth extraction include problem wisdom teeth, a crowded mouth, or infection. Sometimes, permanent teeth are removed to make room for orthodontic treatment. Wisdom teeth are removed when they fail to grow in properly and become “impacted”. Impacted wisdom teeth may remain below the surface of the gum line and put pressure on other teeth. Wisdom teeth may also erupt sideways and towards another tooth, leading to an increased risk of infection. Removal of impacted wisdom teeth can help prevent infection, cavities, and overcrowding of the teeth.

Why You Might Need a Tooth Extracted

There are many indications for tooth extractions, with some of them being more serious than others. Generally, we try to preserve a tooth, but if the damage can’t be repaired, then leaving it in will do more harm than good. People get teeth extracted when a tooth is damaged beyond repair like we already said. Additionally, if a tooth has a large cavity or severe pulp infection, then it’s better to remove it. Those who suffer trauma and have a tooth damaged might need extraction too. We try our best to keep natural teeth in place, but in some cases, there’s nothing we can do to save them.

Getting an Extraction

Getting one of your teeth extracted isn’t as big a deal as you might think. It’s a procedure we do all the time in the office. Almost all patients can get the extraction in the office and don’t need to go to an operating room or anything similar. The first step of the tooth extraction is to give you anesthesia, so you don’t feel any pain during the procedure. Anesthesia is usually injected locally. While we work, you’ll feel some pressure, but there shouldn’t be any pain. We can’t give you an exact estimate of how long the extraction will take. Sometimes it takes as little as 5 minutes, while for some patients it can take up to an hour. The imaging we ask for can’t accurately predict the duration of the procedure, but we’ll try to get the job done expertly and while making you as comfortable as possible.