Reasons for Extractions
While it is always the goal to save an ailing tooth, unfortunately that is not always possible. Extractions, or pulling a tooth, are necessary when a tooth cannot be saved. This could be due to decay, trauma, infection, and severe periodontal disease. An extraction removes the tooth structures from your mouth. The extraction socket is also cleaned to allow for the placement of regenerating biologics and to provide a site for proper healing. Whether it is an upper or lower tooth, Dr. Ratliff can extract it while preserving the surrounding area. The addition of regenerating biologic materials a bone graft allows bone to grow in the extraction site. The growth of bone in the extraction site is important to preserve the stability of neighboring teeth, and to provide a stable foundation for future implant placement.
Types / Methods of Extractions
In a routine extraction, the tooth is simply loosened and removed. A variety of instruments are employed in this method. The tooth is pried loose with an instrument called a root elevator, which literally elevates the root out of the socket. Once the tooth is sufficiently loosened, it is removed with forceps.
A tooth cannot always come out in one piece. We can all remember our first loose tooth, and the perhaps precarious methods we used to remove it. There are no strings tied to doorknobs at Pure Perio. Dr. Ratliff uses precise and proven methods to extract teeth. One such method is known as sectioning the tooth. This method may be necessary if there is not enough tooth structure above the gumline to effectively elevate, or if the tooth’s roots are shaped in a way that prevents them from releasing simultaneously. In this method, just like the name implies, the tooth is cut into “sections “and removed. The benefit of sectioning the tooth is that each root can be extracted separately. This method also provides superior bone preservation in the surrounding area.