Extraction of Teeth (Other Than Wisdom Teeth)

Despite all of the advances in dentistry today, there are times that teeth will need to be extracted either due to dental decay, periodontal disease or traumatic fracture.   Extractions of more than one tooth at at time is a common procedure and should not be anything for your to be concerned about.  Your oral surgeons are well trained in these procedures.

Many times a single tooth or a couple of teeth can be removed very comfortably with just local anesthestic like when you get a dental filling.  However, if many teeth need to be removed at one time, IV sedation may be a better option for you as a patient.  Your oral surgeon will discuss your health history and other items to determine if you would be a suitable candidate for in office IV sedation for your procedure. 

Another option is to discuss with your oral surgeon the possibility of completing all of your extractions with local anesthetic in more than one appointment.  This can make the process better for you as a patient and allows you time to heal in between appointments.

Many times patients who require many extractions prior to receiving either a partial denture or a full denture will require a procedure known as an alveoloplasty.  All this means is that the tooth supporting bone needs to be smoothed to remove sharp edges and the process also ensures that there are no undercuts in the bone that could prevent the proper wear of your partial or full denture.

On occasion a patient may require the removal of normal bony growth called a torus or if you have more than one, they are called tori.  These are normal bony growths that are often present on the tongue side of the lower jaw.  They can prevent the patient from wearing a partial or full denture.

Once again, your oral surgeon is well trained and very experienced with the procedures mentioned above.  Typically when done, there will be sutures that dissolve on their own placed at the extraction sites and you will receive instructions on how to manage the sites after surgery.  You will receive a prescription for pain management medications and many times a prescription for an antibiotic. 

For more information on how to care for your extraction sites after surgery, please see the instructions page for care under “After the Removal of Multiple Teeth”.