What is involved when extracting a tooth?
Sophie’s Story
If you remember Sophie’s story from last month she needed to have her canine tooth extracted due to bone loss from bacteria all caused by a chipped tooth.
(top picture)
Extraction of a canine tooth is an involved procedure.
(bottom picture)
First, a nerve block is performed to prevent pain and allow us to use less anesthesia. The canine tooth has a very large root, only about 1/3 of the tooth is visible above the gingiva (gum line). The tooth is extracted surgically by peeling down the gingiva, removing bone on the outside of the tooth, and slowly breaking down the periodontal ligament (the soft tissue that holds the root in the jaw). Then the opening is sutured closed. Then we cleaned and evaluated the rest of Sophie’s teeth.
She received more pain medication before she woke from anesthesia. The entire process went very well and was finished in about an hour.
