Quick and Easy Tooth Extraction at LK Anderson DDS

The Tooth Extraction Process

At LK Anderson DDS, we offer tooth extraction. Expressions such as “like getting teeth pulled” show what society at large believes about the dental extraction process, but that unpleasant mental image is a very outdated one. A modern dental practice such as LK Anderson DDS has all the right tools to ensure that your extraction will be as comfortable as possible. It usually takes less than an hour, and with a local anesthetic and IV sedation, if necessary, the tooth can be painlessly removed.

When Tooth Extraction Is the Best Option

Dr. Anderson may determine that extraction is the best option for a variety of reasons. After the recovery period is over, it will be time to begin taking the prosthodontic or orthodontic steps needed to fill in your smile. Good dentists only use tooth extraction as a last resort when other solutions won’t be effective, but there are still many reasons why it could be necessary, whether for baby teeth or adult teeth:

The Nerve Has Died or Is Dying

The most common reason for tooth extraction is that decay or injury has killed the root. If the infection or damage to the nerve is too extensive, root canal treatment may not successfully salvage the tooth. In such cases, extraction becomes necessary to prevent the spread of infection, alleviate pain, and protect the overall oral health.

There Is a Dental Abscess

Tooth infections or abscesses can be extremely dangerous — even life-threatening — and they need to be addressed right away. First we will look for the source, whether it’s in the gums or the tooth itself. If it’s in the tooth, we may have to extract it, but we will do everything we can to save it first! (Symptoms of an abscess include intense tooth pain and swollen, possibly oozing gums.)

Complications With Wisdom Teeth

Many people don’t have room in their jaws to accommodate the third molar or wisdom tooth, and they have crooked roots, they’re infected, or they’ve become impacted (meaning they try to come in sideways, endangering the roots of the neighboring teeth). In these cases, we extract them.

Severe Tooth Decay

Severe tooth decay can necessitate tooth extraction when it has extensively damaged the tooth’s structure, compromising its strength and support. In such cases, the decay may have progressed to a point where performing a root canal and restoring the tooth with a crown is no longer viable or practical. Tooth extraction becomes the preferred option to prevent the spread of infection, alleviate pain, and maintain overall oral health.

Periodontitis

Severe gum disease can compromise the gum and bone around the teeth enough to leave them loose. At this point, they are often too late to save through gum treatment, but periodontitis is preventable with good oral hygiene habits, limited sugar consumption, and regular dental checkups.

A Failed Root Canal

Rather than retreating it, if a tooth has low chances of improvement after failed root canal treatment, we may sometimes recommend extraction.

Crowding

If there isn’t enough space for all of the teeth, even with orthodontic treatment, or if a tooth is too far out of position, we may need to extract.

Baby Teeth

Sometimes parents ask us to remove a baby tooth that is already loose, typically when they need assistance with extraction. If it isn’t very loose already, we prefer not to pull it unless we can confirm that the adult tooth is ready to come in behind it. We will pull a tooth if it poses a choking hazard.

Fractured Roots or Fractured Post Crown

If everything has been done to try to save a tooth before and it hasn’t succeeded, it will need to be extracted.

Before a Major Oral Surgery

Sometimes teeth need to be removed before jaw surgery if they pose an infection risk or could impede the final results.

What Dr. Anderson Can Do for Your Tooth

If you have a tooth that’s been bothering you, there’s no need for you to keep suffering out of fear of the dentist, and the problem is likely to worsen if it isn’t treated. Call us at (316) 681-3178 or email us to schedule your appointment today, and Dr. Anderson will be able to determine if tooth extraction is what your tooth needs or if there are other options, such as root canal treatment. You can learn more about us by checking our business page, and make sure to get directions before heading our way.