PROCEDURES
Surgical Extractions

Teeth are removed for a variety of reasons. The removal of the necessary tooth (teeth) may be a relatively simple and straightforward procedure (often referred to as “pulling a tooth”) or may entail a more involved surgical procedure.


Patients are often referred to our practice for the removal of teeth that may be more difficult to remove for various reasons including:

  • Severely carious teeth (decayed teeth).
  • Teeth with unusual anatomy such as extra tooth roots, crooked roots, or roots that have become enlarged over time.
  • Teeth that have roots that lie in close proximity to anatomical structures such as the maxillary sinus or the inferior alveolar nerve.

A surgical extraction can often be similar to the techniques described for the removal of impacted teeth (see wisdom teeth section of this website) involving an incision of adjacent gingival (gum) tissue, removal of investing bone around the tooth and/or sectioning of the crown and/or roots. Sutures are often required to close the incision.

Surgical extractions can involve the use of various types of anesthesia ranging from local anesthesia to intravenous anesthesia. Please see Anesthesia section for a description of these techniques. The post-operative care for a surgical extraction is described in the Oral Surgery Instructions of this site.