Tooth Extraction

The team of experts at Wilshire Smile Studio, including a leading oral surgeon, will do everything they can to preserve your natural teeth, from keeping the gums that hold them in place in good health to performing root canals to clean out deep infection in a tooth.

There are two types of extractions:

• A simple extraction– this procedure is for a tooth that can be seen in the mouth above the gumline. For a simple extraction, the dentist loosens the tooth with an instrument called an elevator. Then the dentist uses forceps to remove the tooth (in a painless way, of course).
• A surgical extraction– this is a more complex procedure, which is used if a tooth may have broken off at the gum line or has not yet erupted above the gums. The oral surgeon will make a small incision into your gum to surgically remove the broken tooth or impacted wisdom tooth.

But there are cases when the best way to preserve the health of the rest of your mouth is to remove the troubled tooth.

Wilshire Smile Studio has a team of experts and the latest technology and procedure to make extraction less difficult:

• Digital x-ray(which uses a tiny amount of radiation) to show what the tooth looks like under the gum and the amount of bone underlying it).
• 3-D CTscan to provide a more detailed view of the teeth and nerves to determine the exact course our oral surgeon should take.
• Topical numbing solutionis applied and local anesthesia.
• Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas).
• Mild Sedationwith a benzodiazepine pill.
• Intravenous drip (IV Sedation).
• Prescription for the appropriate pain medication to be taken for a short time before switching to over-the-counter options.

POST-SURGICAL CARE

• We will give post-surgical instructions, such as:
• Use gauze pads to bite on
• Apply an ice pack (or bag of frozen vegetables)to the area to keep swelling to a minimum, which subsides after 48 hours.
• Drink lots of fluids and only eat soft, nutritious foods (avoid hard or crunchy foods like nuts and popcorn) for two or three days, and avoid drinking through a straw, spitting, or smoking (resume normal habits when comfortable).

Our office staff and surgical team are available to answer any questions you may have before and after your surgical appointments.