Have you’ve been told by Associated Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons in Galesburg that you need tooth extractions for any other reason? If so, you should know that there are actually two types of tooth extractions – simple extractions and surgical extraction. Knowing the difference between the two – as well as which type of oral surgery you will have performed – will help you prepare mentally for your procedure, as well as choose your sedation dentistry option. It will also help clue you in on how much time you’ll need to recover from your oral surgery procedure.
What are Simple Tooth Extractions?
Simple tooth extractions are when a visible tooth is surgically removed from your mouth. Simple tooth extractions are performed for a variety of reasons, including the removal of:
- Diseased teeth that can’t be treated with cavity fillings or root canals;
- Fractured teeth; and
- Teeth that need to be pulled in order to have more aesthetically pleasing dental implants placed.
With simple tooth extractions, Galesburg dental patients may select a combination of the following sedation dentistry options:
- Local anesthesia, which is delivered via injection at the surgical site;
- Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, which makes you relaxed and little goofy and unaware of your procedure;
- Twilight anesthesia, which is delivered via an IV, and makes you groggy and “out of it” so that you are unaware of your procedure but still somewhat responsive to our doctors and nurses; and
- General anesthesia, which is also delivered via an IV, but completely puts you asleep.
If you choose a combination of local and nitrous oxide for your simple tooth extractions, you’ll be able to drive yourself home after your procedure. If you choose twilight or general anesthesia, you’ll need to arrange for a ride home after your Galesburg oral surgery as the strong medications you’ll receive will make it unsafe for you to drive home.
With a simple tooth extraction, recovery time may be easier. You may only need to take the day off work or school, and manage your discomfort with prescription or over-the-counter pain medication.
What are Surgical Tooth Extractions?
Surgical tooth extractions are the removal of teeth from a Galesburg patient’s mouth that have not yet erupted – or aren’t yet visible in the mouth. You might need a surgical tooth extraction if:
- You have impacted wisdom teeth that are painful;
- You have a genetic condition that causes you to grow more than 28 teeth plus your wisdom teeth; and
- You have unerupted teeth that need to be removed for oral procedure reasons, such as getting braces.
Surgical tooth extractions are more difficult oral surgery procedures because they involve cutting the gums and extracting the teeth from below the gumline. As such, many of our Galesburg patients who are having surgical tooth extractions choose twilight or general anesthesia so that they are more comfortable during their procedure, and take a day or two off work or school to recover.
Call Us if You Think You Need a Tooth Extracted
If you think you have a condition that warrants a simple or surgical tooth extraction, we want to help.
Call our Galesburg office today at (309) 232-8252.
