How are adult teeth extracted?
The dentist may take x-rays of the tooth that needs extracting to look at the position of the tooth, the bone, nerves and blood vessels around the tooth. The tooth and surrounding area will be numbed (an injection) by local anaesthetic. Once the area around the tooth is numb, the tooth is loosened with movements and pressure. The loosened tooth is then removed.
Following the extraction, a stitch may be required to close the hole. There may be cases where a ‘surgical extraction’ is required. When a tooth is still under the gum or is completely broken down, gum and bone may need to be removed. Following an extraction, the patient will be asked to bite down on a piece of sterile gauze to help stop the bleeding and form a clot.
