How Does a Dentist Loosen a Tooth for Extraction?

If dentistry professes to save and preserve natural teeth, one would wonder why toothed extractions are so prevalent even to date. The truth is that dental experts largely perform tooth extractions to optimize oral health while preserving the remaining natural teeth.

What Is a Tooth Extraction?

It is a dental procedure that entails loosening a tooth from its socket in the jawbone to remove it permanently. Tooth extractions in Calgary, AB, may be common procedures but they are not the first line of action when you visit a dentist near you. Instead, a dentist will focus more on dental procedures that can help save your natural teeth. Therefore, if your dentist recommends a tooth extraction procedure, know that you need it to protect your oral health.

Why Do You Need a Tooth Extraction?

Since dentists will always prioritize saving natural teeth, here are a few reasons why you may need a tooth extraction procedure:

1. Severe tooth decay – even though different restorative treatments can treat tooth cavities and dental decay, some teeth are too severely damaged. A dentist must evaluate your tooth to determine whether it is salvageable through treatments like dental fillings or root canal therapy. If not, then tooth extraction is necessary.
2. Impacted teeth – some teeth can erupt naturally, remaining partially or wholly stuck underneath the gums. Such teeth cause oral complications like swelling and dental pain that can be avoided when the tooth is removed.
3. Problematic wisdom teeth – wisdom teeth are the last molars to erupt in a human mouth. Because of the location that is tight and small, most of these teeth have complications when they start growing. Therefore, it is not unlikely for a dentist to recommend tooth removal for one or more of your wisdom teeth.
4. Periodontitis – is a severe infection of the gum tissue that significantly compromises the stability of natural teeth. Deteriorated jaw health and damaged gum tissue weaken the support system for natural teeth. Eventually, they will start shaking and potentially falling out on their own. In such cases, a dentist will recommend tooth removal.
5. Overcrowding – if you desire a perfect alignment for your teeth to optimize your self-confidence through your smile, you may need to undergo treatment for overcrowding. In orthodontics, dentists recommend extracting one or more natural teeth to create more space in the mouth for aligning the remaining teeth. This way, wearing braces will be productive and effective for spacing out the remaining teeth.

​Does It Hurt When the Dentist Pulls Out a Tooth?

Detaching a natural tooth from the jawbone is as painful as you would imagine. It is much more painful for the back teeth like molars and wisdom teeth because they have multiple roots anchoring them. Therefore, it will be painful for a dentist to pull out a tooth from your mouth.

Fortunately, you will not get to experience pain during your treatment. Dentists employ local anesthesia that numbs the mouth. It will translate to a pain-free process. Further, your dentist in Calgary, AB, can incorporate sedation dentistry, especially if you have dental anxiety or undergo a surgical tooth extraction.

​How Long Does It Take to Loosen a Tooth?

Loosening a tooth from its socket varies depending on various factors. For one, the location of the tooth matters. Extracting wisdom teeth will take longer than the front teeth. The number of roots a tooth has impacts its sturdiness and stability in the jawbone.

Besides, we perform two types of tooth extraction procedures at Dental at the Met. The first type is a simple extraction, which usually takes 30 to 45 minutes to Loosen the tooth and complete the treatment. It can sometimes take up to an hour or shorter than 30 minutes. However, the other type of tooth extraction, a surgical extraction, takes longer than 45 minutes. It can take about an hour and a half or longer, depending on the necessary protocols for the tooth extraction.