Extractions are done as a way to preserve your oral health and remove problematic teeth. In some cases, you may need to have teeth removed because of advanced gum disease. In other cases, you'll need an extraction because you have an impacted wisdom tooth.

Extractions are often performed when there is no other way to save a tooth. Some teeth are simply an issue to your oral health, so it's best to remove them before they're allowed to cause issues with shifting, infection and intra-oral damage. Some of the reasons you may want or need an extraction include:

• Impacted wisdom teeth
• Loose or severely decayed teeth
• Teeth that are cracked or broken below the gum line
• Stubborn baby teeth
• You're looking to avoid having additional treatment done

Types of extraction

• The right type of tooth extraction depends on the tooth’s shape, size, position, and location in the mouth.
• Dental surgeons may classify extractions as simple or surgical. A simple extraction involves a tooth that is visible above the gums and that a dentist can remove in one piece.
• A surgical extraction is more complicated and involves the removal of gum tissue, bone, or both. The surgeon may need to remove the tooth in pieces.
• Wisdom teeth are the last to erupt and usually the first to require extraction because in many people, they are impacted. This means that they have not fully emerged from the gums.

We first provide you with anesthetic or sedation of your choosing. We can discuss our sedation options with you during your consultation. Once you're comfortable, we will loosen and remove the tooth. We may place sutures if they are needed to close the gums. We have you bite down on gauze to stop the bleeding. If you've been sedated, we will bring you to a recovery room to fully wake up. You should be brought home by a friend or relative if general sedation has been used. We provide our patients with important aftercare instructions that must be followed. We will take x-rays to help in further identifying the need for an extraction.

Is a tooth extraction painful? Not necessarily. While the extraction may hurt if you are under the effects of nitrous oxide, you should not be in excruciating pain. For more serious extractions, you will need stronger painkillers such as oral sedatives or anesthesia. How long it takes to fully recover - You should feel back to normal within two weeks, but complete healing takes three to four weeks. During this time, be careful not to let food debris get into the empty space left by the extracted tooth.

To be safe, avoid brushing or rinsing your mouth in the first 24 hours after the tooth extraction Santa Rosa Beach FL procedure. Afterward, brush with care, and don't get close to the extraction site with the toothbrush. Also, don't swish water, mouthwash, or any oral care fluid in your mouth.