Encino Total Dentistry team

Tooth Extractions

Sometimes, a tooth is so decayed or damaged that it cannot be saved. In this case, an extraction is the only option. Another example is when a teen or young adult needs a wisdom tooth pulled. Dr. Donia of Encino, California uses the latest techniques to ensure your tooth-extraction process is as comfortable and easy as possible.

Tooth Extraction Q & A

What Is Tooth Extraction?

Tooth extraction is the process of pulling a tooth from the mouth. Tooth removal is permanent, which means your tooth will be gone for the rest of your life. Depending on the type of extraction, Dr. Donia may apply either a local anesthetic or general anesthesia, to ensure a painless procedure.

Why Does Someone Need a Tooth Pulled?

The most common reason for tooth extraction is tooth damage caused by extensive decay or trauma. Dr. Donia will try his best to repair the tooth before considering an extraction, but sometimes it is too damaged or decayed to be saved. If left untreated, an affected tooth can cause infection, patients undergoing an organ transplant or cancer treatment are especially vulnerable. Extra teeth, wisdom teeth or baby teeth that prevent other healthy teeth from coming in are also candidates for tooth extraction. In other cases, the dentist can also extract a tooth in order to create room for teeth to move when you get braces or other corrective gear. Also, many patients with gum disease can develop loose teeth and the dentist may remove the loose teeth before they cause further damage.

What Is Wisdom Tooth Extraction?

Wisdom teeth are an extra set of molars that most people have in the back of their mouth and start to emerge when patients are in their teens to early 20s. Wisdom teeth can cause misalignment of the other teeth and crowd the jawbone and nerve. Wisdom teeth also have a relatively high chance of being impacted and never fully emerge from the gums, which can lead to infections and swelling. To prevent these problems, Dr. Donia can pull your wisdom teeth before any symptoms even arise. The younger you are, the less the roots of your wisdom teeth are developed and the easier the procedure to remove them.