Departments: Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery

Extraction

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery is a form of dentistry that treats a wide spectrum of diseases, injuries and defects around the head, neck, face and jaw. Most common oral and maxillofacial services include extraction (moderate to difficult, including wisdom teeth), reconstructive dental oral surgery and placing dental implants.

Teeth can be extracted in two ways.  The standard method involves the use of an elevator and forceps.  The elevator is inserted between the tooth and periodontal ligament and the tooth is gently loosened or elevated out of the alveolus.  Forceps then are used to grasp and extract the tooth from the socket.

The second method of tooth removal is to section the tooth in the alveolus and extract it in pieces.  This method is commonly used for impacted third molars or wisdom teeth, or for tooth fragments that are retained or buried in the alveolar bone.  The site is surgically exposed using a hand chisel and mallet or a handpiece.  The tooth then is extracted using a combination of elevators and forceps.