Tooth Extraction

While restorative procedures, such as dental fillings and root canals, can sometimes save a damaged or failing tooth, in other cases, a dental extraction is the only way to preserve the health of your remaining teeth, gums, and bone tissue. Dentists make every effort to save natural teeth before recommending an extraction. Once it is determined that extraction is the only option, one of our oral surgeons will create a custom treatment plan that improves your oral health.

Reasons To Extract a Tooth

A variety of conditions can lead to a tooth failing. While some conditions that require tooth extraction are unavoidable, many conditions such as tooth decay and gum disease can be prevented through regular dental exams and consistent oral hygiene practices. In other cases, orthodontic treatment may require a tooth to be removed to allow for more space. Some of the more common conditions that eventually lead to a tooth extraction include:

• Extensive tooth decay
• Tooth loosening and bone deterioration
• Infections
• Facial injury
• Tooth crowding

How Tooth Extraction Works

Prior to surgery, we will take 3D scans of your mouth to produce high-quality digital images of your jaw and tooth structure.

During surgery, your oral surgeon will remove the tooth using forceps. We may make small incisions in the gum tissue to better access the tooth, if necessary. Tooth extraction is a commonly performed procedure, and many patients report little to no discomfort during treatment. We offer a variety of anesthesia options to make sure you are comfortable during your procedure.

We also offer non-removable tooth replacement options at all five of our King County offices, such as long-lasting dental implants. Our surgeons can extract a tooth and replace it with a dental implant on the same day, provided you have enough jaw bone to support the implant. If you do not plan on immediately replacing the tooth, we can place a bone graft in the empty socket to preserve the jaw bone and gum health.

Dr. Rick Edwards, Dr. Carl Johnson, and Dr. Ben Johnson are all experts in the placement of dental implants, implant-supported bridges, and Smile Complete^™ full-arch restoration. Whether you need one tooth or multiple teeth replaced, our surgeons can use dental implant technology to give you a long-lasting solution following extraction. To learn more about dental implants and the other tooth replacement options we offer, contact Pacific Northwest Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons today.