Extractions Performed By Oral Surgeons
Your dentist regularly provides preventive and restorative care. However, in some instances, a regular dentist may refer patients to an oral surgeon for an extraction. Still, if you are like many dental patients, you may not know which extractions are usually handled by a dentist and which is usually performed by an oral surgeon.
Here are the types of extractions that are often referred to an oral surgeon:
Removal of Teeth That Are Difficult to Reach
Sometimes, the structure of the face and the way that the teeth are positioned in the mouth can make it difficult to remove a tooth, especially without the patient incurring a great amount of discomfort. A patient's tooth may be difficult to extract due to the size of the sinuses or limitations in the movement of the jaw. An oral surgeon can comfortably and safely perform the extraction.
Removal of Teeth That Have Not Fully Presented
Teeth that are impacted have not fully erupted. Thus, their removal may not be simple.
Wisdom teeth often suffer from impaction. A wisdom tooth may only partially erupt, and the remainder of the tooth may lie beneath the surface of the gums. In some cases, the wisdom tooth may require extraction but lie completely beneath the gums.
Extracting a tooth that has not fully presented will usually require cutting the gums to access the tooth. In addition, general anesthesia may be needed.
Removal of Teeth That Are Cracked
Teeth that have been cracked are more likely to have a difficult removal. A damaged tooth may break off during an extraction. In addition, some pieces of the tooth may become trapped beneath the gums. As a result, oral surgery is often suggested for the extraction of a tooth that is cracked.
Removal of the Teeth of a Patient with Dental Fear
Dental fear is a common problem. Some dental patients may experience a great amount of anxiety after being told that a dental extraction is required.
In order to avoid the discomfort of the anxiety, some people prefer to be fully anesthetized during the extraction. Full anesthesia is not usually offered by a general dentist. Thus, a patient who requires an extraction and suffers from dental anxiety may be referred to an oral surgeon.
If you have a tooth that requires an extraction, schedule a consultation with a dental office like NOVA PREMIER DENTAL in your local area to determine whether or not an oral surgeon will need to perform the procedure.