As owner and president of New Dimensions Dentistry and Orthodontics in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Samuel “Sam” Pollina, DMD, offers a comprehensive range of diagnostic, treatment, and cosmetic services. When a tooth is too badly damaged to save, Dr. Sam Pollina performs an extraction.
To extract a tooth, a dentist must separate it from the tissue that keeps it secure in the mouth. A healthy tooth includes a root that is surrounded by bone and held in place by a ligament, a fibrous tissue that connects bone to tooth. The dentist must break these connections to safely remove the tooth.
The process begins with the application of a local anesthetic, which numbs the tooth and the surrounding area. The doctor then begins to widen the tooth's socket, which is the bone gap into which the tooth fits. The fit is so snug that the dentist must compress the bone on either side to make an expanded opening.
The dentist may accomplish this by rocking the tooth back and forth. This serves both to widen the socket and to separate the tooth from its ligament. The dentist will continue this process until the ligament connection is loose enough and the socket is wide enough that the tooth can easily come out.
Patients are likely to see a few basic dental tools, including a syringe for injection of the numbing medication. The dentist may also use a special dental elevator, an instrument that resembles a screwdriver and is used to create the leverage that allows the tooth to rock within its socket. In some cases, a dentist may be able to use this tool to remove the tooth, although more firmly attached teeth may require the use of simple manual forceps.
The procedure should be painless, although the patient may feel some pressure as the dentist opens the tooth socket and removes the tooth. The patient may also hear sharp snapping or breaking noises as the tooth separates from the surrounding tissue. These sounds are routine and to be expected.
To extract a tooth, a dentist must separate it from the tissue that keeps it secure in the mouth. A healthy tooth includes a root that is surrounded by bone and held in place by a ligament, a fibrous tissue that connects bone to tooth. The dentist must break these connections to safely remove the tooth.
The process begins with the application of a local anesthetic, which numbs the tooth and the surrounding area. The doctor then begins to widen the tooth's socket, which is the bone gap into which the tooth fits. The fit is so snug that the dentist must compress the bone on either side to make an expanded opening.
The dentist may accomplish this by rocking the tooth back and forth. This serves both to widen the socket and to separate the tooth from its ligament. The dentist will continue this process until the ligament connection is loose enough and the socket is wide enough that the tooth can easily come out.
Patients are likely to see a few basic dental tools, including a syringe for injection of the numbing medication. The dentist may also use a special dental elevator, an instrument that resembles a screwdriver and is used to create the leverage that allows the tooth to rock within its socket. In some cases, a dentist may be able to use this tool to remove the tooth, although more firmly attached teeth may require the use of simple manual forceps.
The procedure should be painless, although the patient may feel some pressure as the dentist opens the tooth socket and removes the tooth. The patient may also hear sharp snapping or breaking noises as the tooth separates from the surrounding tissue. These sounds are routine and to be expected.
