Routine and Surgical Extractions

Routine and Surgical Extractions

Infected and damaged teeth need treatment as soon as possible to prevent extended pain and keep infection from spreading. Sometimes treatment for a bad tooth includes an extraction. Dr. Shawn Cohen, DDS, removes damaged or infected teeth as quickly and painlessly as possible to keep his patient’s mouth and gums healthy. If you are in pain, please call our office immediately.

Dr. Cohen’s goal during a tooth extraction is to take the tooth out with as little damage and trauma to the gums and surrounding area as possible. There are two types of extractions that are done, namely routine extractions and surgical extractions.

Routine Extractions

Routine extractions remove teeth by moving the tooth around until the ligament holding the tooth in the jaw releases. Once the ligament releases, the tooth comes out in one piece. If a tooth only has one root it can be extracted by performing a routine extraction.

Surgical Extractions

If a tooth needs to be removed by taking out a small piece of bone or a larger tooth needs to be cut into pieces before it comes out, the tooth is removed by surgical extraction. Surgical extractions of teeth need to be done when:

  • A tooth breaks at the gum line
  • Has more than one root
  • Is treated with a root canal
  • Has strong bone around it

After a surgical tooth extraction, medication may be placed in the surgical area and a stitch or two may be placed to close the surgical field.