Extraction is the complete removal of a primary or a permanent tooth. An Extraction can be surgical or non-surgical. This depends on the difficulty of the extraction and whether or not the tooth is impacted or erupted, and whether it has straight or curved roots.

An Extraction may be done by our office or may be referred to an Oral Surgeon (someone who specializes in difficult or surgical extractions). No one looks forward to an extraction, but modern anesthesia will help keep your child comfortable throughout the procedure.

Reasons for an extraction are:

• A primary ("baby") tooth may be in the way of normal eruption of a permanent tooth.
• An abscessed tooth that cannot be saved.
• A tooth with decay too deep to save the tooth.
• A tooth that has broken at the gum line and cannot be saved.
• Impacted tooth (typically a "Wisdom Tooth")
• Some Orthodontic cases require that one or more teeth be extracted.
• Advanced Gum Disease.

Nothing is better than a healthy set of teeth, and many advances in dentistry allow us to save teeth that we could not previously, but sometimes an extraction is necessary.

When an extraction is performed, it is important to put something in the place of the missing tooth or teeth. If the space is just left open, the adjacent teeth may shift and cause complications. When a child prematurely loses a primary tooth, they may need a space maintainer. The loss of a permanent tooth may call for a bridge or implant.