Tooth Extraction in Sonora, CA

At Sonora Dentist, Dr. Paul Berger always aims to preserve your natural teeth whenever possible. Natural teeth provide incredible functionality that is difficult for any restoration to match. With immense stability and strength, your natural smile allows you to chew food and speak effectively. Unfortunately, not all natural teeth can be saved. Some issues may call for a dental extraction, in which Dr. Berger removes one tooth to preserve the health of your remaining teeth. While it is always a last resort, he dedicates his time and efforts to ensuring that the tooth extraction process is smooth and comfortable for patients like you. Following tooth extraction, Dr. Berger offers innovative tooth replacement methods to help restore function to your smile!

Signs You May Need A Tooth Extracted

Most often, the reason we extract a tooth is to preserve your oral health. If one tooth is threatening the well-being of your neighboring teeth or gums, it may be necessary to remove the tooth from your smile! Issues that may result in tooth extraction include:

• Severe tooth decay: Without proper oral hygiene care, plaque builds up on the enamel of your teeth. Then bacteria feed on this plaque, producing acids that deteriorate your enamel and form cavities. Next, they infect the sensitive pulp within your tooth, causing significant pain. While a root canal can often save a decaying tooth, some decay is too severe. In these cases, Dr. Berger must extract the tooth to prevent the infection from spreading.
• Dangerous dental trauma: For fractured or cracked teeth, treatment often involves dental fillings or crowns to repair the damage or protect your tooth from bacteria. However, some dental trauma is severe enough to warrant tooth extraction, especially if the broken tooth is sharp or vulnerable to infection.
• Advanced gum disease: Gum disease progresses in stages. The earliest stage, gingivitis, is completely reversible with prompt treatment. As it continues, you’ll begin to lose gum and bone, which cannot be undone. In the most advanced cases, your teeth may loosen from their sockets, requiring removal for the safety of your smile.
• Problematic wisdom teeth: Unfortunately, most people will need their wisdom teeth extracted. Typically, this is due to a lack of space in your jaw, tooth pain, or impacted wisdom teeth. However, it’s important to note that Dr. Berger does not extract impacted wisdom teeth. Instead, he will refer you to an oral surgeon for specialized care.

If you are experiencing any of these issues, please contact Sonora Dentist right away! We can preserve the health of your smile through innovative and comfortable care.

Understanding the Tooth Extraction Process

In most cases, a tooth extraction is a relatively straightforward procedure, both in terms of the process and the healing that follows. To extract a tooth, Dr. Berger will use one of two methods.

Simple Tooth Extraction

When a tooth is loose or decaying, he may use a simple tooth extraction to remove it from your smile.

This process involves using a local anesthetic to numb the area surrounding your tooth. Then, with specialized dental tools, he will gently loosen your tooth and remove it from its socket. Afterwards, he’ll flush out any debris from the socket to ensure a smoother healing process.

However, Dr. Berger only performs simple extractions if your tooth is visible and easily accessible. Otherwise, he may need to use a more surgical approach.

Surgical Tooth Extraction

Sometimes, your tooth may be more difficult to access. Broken teeth and wisdom teeth are often difficult to reach, requiring a surgical tooth extraction rather than a simple one.

To perform a surgical extraction, Dr. Perger will need to open up your gums to access your tooth. Once you’re comfortable and numb, he’ll create a small incision in your gums to reveal more of the tooth. If your tooth is now accessible, he’ll extract it.

However, in some cases, he may need to break the tooth into smaller pieces, removing it bit by bit. Once Dr. Berger is done, he will flush the socket out and facilitate healing.

Restoring Your Smile With Mini Dental Implants

After losing a tooth, it’s important to replace it as soon as possible.

Natural teeth have vital roots that keep your smile secure and your jawbone healthy. Without these roots, your jaw will deteriorate over time! Fortunately, dental implants replace tooth roots while restoring your missing tooth!

At Sonora Dentist, Dr. Berger utilizes mini dental implants. These narrow titanium posts stabilize in your jawbone to support artificial restorations like crowns, bridges, or dentures! Mini implants provide numerous advantages for patients, allowing for fast healing and a minimally invasive process at an affordable price.

In some cases, he can even place a mini implant immediately after extracting a tooth. Once he removes your tooth, Dr. Berger will place a bone grafting material in your empty socket, followed by an implant to help facilitate bone growth and healing.

Usually, he avoids placing a restoration on top until your gums and bone heal completely. However, in certain cases, Dr. Berger will restore your smile with a temporary crown on the same day he places your implant, allowing you to achieve a full smile in a single appointment.

When your implant has fully bonded with your bone, he will remove the temporary prosthesis and replace it with a final restoration.

Protect Your Smile at Sonora Dentist in Sonora, CA

While dental extraction is always a last resort, Dr. Berger ensures that your tooth extraction process is smooth and comfortable. Whether you need a simple or surgical extraction, trust Dr. Berger at Sonora Dentist to protect your smile. Afterwards, he will discuss replacing your tooth with a mini dental implant at your free implant consultation.

Book an appointment today at Sonora Dentist, CA!

Frequently Asked Questions