Teeth extractions happen for a number of reasons. They happen from tooth decay, overcrowding caused by wisdom teeth (third molars) or other teeth in the mouth, root fractures in which your family Dentist cannot restore or save the tooth, problems caused by periodontal disease or dental infections.
Sometimes your orthodontist recommend teeth to be removed eliminating over crowding of future permanent teeth. These types of extractions fall into a category known as erupted teeth extractions, requiring routine removal or minor surgical techniques. Depending on the nature and number of extraction these procedures can be performed with local (“Novocain”) anesthesia or general anesthesia.
The other type of situation requiring tooth removal involves impacted teeth. An impacted tooth is a tooth, which has not erupted into a normal position in the mouth, thus leaving it “stuck” in the jawbone. This is a result of the jaws being too small to accommodate the tooth. There are 3 types of impacted teeth:
- Soft tissue impactions (a tooth covered by gum tissue only)
- Partial bone impactions (a tooth covered by gum tissue and some jawbone)
- Complete bone impaction (a tooth completely covered by jawbone)
The most common teeth to become impacted are the third molars “wisdom teeth”. People start getting their wisdom teeth when they reach their late teens or early twenties. Retained impacted teeth can cause crowding of and damage to adjacent teeth. More serious infections can be the cause of impacted teeth. More serious complications may occur when the sac that the tooth develops in starts to become filled with fluid and enlarges, forming a cyst. These cysts will continue to grow if left untreated resulting in hollowing out of the jawbone. In some instances a tumor can develop from the cyst lining requiring more extensive surgery.
When do third molars need to be removed? There is no crystal ball to tell you when an impacted third molar will cause a problem however, most likely trouble will occur. By having periodic x-rays of the mouth your dentist or oral surgeon can assess whether your wisdom teeth will cause problems early or later in life. It is wiser to remove these teeth at a younger age since root development is not complete and the jawbone is less dense. By not waiting until later in life complication are greatly reduced and recovery and healing time is shortened.
Impacted teeth are usually surgically removed under
general anesthesia to assure proper patient comfort. As with all types
of extractions antibiotics and pain medications are frequently prescribed.
1303 Macom Drive
Naperville, IL 60564
Phone: (630) 851-9100
674 W. Veterans Pkwy,
Suite A
Yorkville, IL 60560
Phone: (630) 553-1100
14710 South Naperville Rd.
Suite 102
Plainfield, IL 60544
Phone: (815) 577-3600
