Oral Surgery

Oral surgery falls into two categories: simple extractions and surgical extractions. Simple extractions are performed on teeth that are visible above the gum line. Slow and steady pressure is applied with controlled force to remove the tooth. Surgical extractions are performed on teeth that are not easily accessed. A drill may be required to help free the tooth from the surrounding jawbone.

Your third molars (wisdom teeth) generally erupt during your late teens or early twenties. They often lack the proper space in the jaw to erupt fully, or even at all. This condition is called impaction. When a tooth lacks the space to come through, or develops in the wrong place of your jaw, problems may arise. Damage to adjacent teeth, infection in surrounding gum tissue, and crowding of other teeth may occur if your third molars are not removed.

In certain cases, your wisdom teeth may develop a fluid filled sac around its underlying root. This abscess may become infected causing serious damage to the underlying bone, the surrounding teeth, and the neighboring gum tissue. To prevent such complications, Dr. Baugh may suggest extracting one or more of your wisdom teeth. While Dr. Baugh will extract fully erupted wisdom teeth, it is our office policy to refer you to an oral surgeon for the removal of impacted wisdom teeth.

Indications / Causes for an Extraction

Simple and surgical extractions are performed for a variety of reasons:

• Deciduous or baby teeth, for orthodontic treatment
• Teeth affected by advanced periodontal disease
• Non-restorable teeth caused by severe tooth decay
• Traumatic injury
• Tooth impaction