EXTRACTIONS & PRESERVATION

While our goal is to help you maintain your teeth for a lifetime, sometimes teeth need to be removed. Wisdom teeth, extra teeth, or very crowded teeth present situations that may mean treatment involving removal. In some cases, severely decayed or cracked teeth, or those missing large amounts of supporting bone leave extraction as the only viable option.

Regardless of your dental needs, your comfort is always our number one priority. We'll discuss your unique situation and determine the best way to help you receive the treatment you need. Few patients look forward to any minor surgical procedure, but today's methods provide the safest, least invasive care possible.

EXTRACTIONS

Despite your best efforts, teeth sometimes need to be removed to protect your health. When we've discussed all other possibilities, and you've decided on extraction, we'll take every step to help you. Your well-being always takes priority in any treatment decision. Some patients prefer sedation to help with oral surgery, and we can review these options in your treatment plan. We take every measure to make sure even minor surgical procedures are as comfortable as possible.

Some teeth are removed more easily than others, but the Walia Dental Clinic team takes pride in helping every patient get numb with modern anesthesia. Once the anesthesia takes effect, our doctors use specialized instruments to elevate the tooth out of place. You will receive specific post-op instructions to help you care for the area after your procedure.

While our immediate concern is the short-term management of your care, we will also discuss your long-term plans for replacing missing teeth. Leaving a space is always an option, but spaces in your smile can create appearance and function challenges that are important to consider. Teeth slowly shift or migrate into open spaces and minimizing the effects of an unbalanced bite now can prevent issues later in life.

Although our primary goal is to help your teeth stay healthy and functional, an extraction is sometimes the best way to preserve the overall health of your mouth. Since teeth help nourish our bodies and support our confidence, we will help you create a plan that fits your short and long-term goals.

ROOT CANALS

Toothaches are a vivid reminder that teeth aren't just pieces of hard tissue floating around in the gums. They are intricately formed sensory organs with layers of dentin and enamel protecting a living pulp. Coursing through the tooth's pulp is a vital bundle of nerves and blood vessels providing nutrients and sensation to each tooth. As long as the pulp stays healthy, you're rarely aware of the systems at work.

Tooth pain can be especially alarming, but it's meant to warn you that something's not right. Pain tells us that the bundle of nerves and vessels inside your tooth is irritated, damaged, or under attack.

A deep cavity can give bacteria access to the inner nerve bundle. In some cases, a significant infection, called an abscess, may develop in your jaw without any symptoms at all. If our doctors determines that the nerve won't recover or if an infection is present, then root canal therapy may be suggested.

Modern anesthetics provide powerful numbing for the gentle removal of the inflamed nerve inside the tooth. The nerve canal undergoes disinfection and careful shaping, and a sealer fills the internal space. A filling or crown over the tooth helps return the tooth to its original function.

Internet articles continue to circulate claiming adverse health effects from root canals, despite years of research proving otherwise. Many of these claims rest on false theories put forward decades ago without any scientific basis. In fact, one popular Facebook article sounding a false alarm shakily rests on a 100-year-old study tossed aside long ago.

The American Association of Endodontists stays abreast of all research and can support the safety of this vital service. In fact, new techniques and materials make root canal treatment more successful than ever.

WISDOM TEETH EXTRACTIONS

If you’re between the ages of 16-25 years, a discussion about your wisdom teeth should take place. Wisdom teeth, a third set of molars, appear in the very back of each area of your mouth: Upper left, lower left, upper right, and lower right. In a few patients, enough space exists for these molars to move into place. But most commonly, they just don’t belong, or they’re not lined up correctly. Wisdom teeth can lay entirely on their sides or lean at various angles into the neighbouring teeth.

When evaluating wisdom teeth, our doctors considers four general classifications. A panoramic x-ray provides a vital tool for determining the classification of each wisdom tooth. It’s even possible one patient may display one of each type:

Erupted: This simply means the tooth moved through the surface of the gums just like your other teeth. Eruption generally doesn’t occur before age 16, but can happen at nearly any age after that. It may have adequate space for its position.

Soft Tissue Impaction/Partially Erupted: The top of the tooth has emerged from the bone although excessive gum tissue usually covers it. Food trapped in the gum flap can lead to decay and infection.

Partial Bony Impaction: The majority of the tooth sits below the jawbone level, although it’s beginning to emerge. A large flap of gum lies over this tooth and leaves it prone to infection and decay as mouth bacteria slip into the area.

Complete Bony Impaction: In this case, the tooth has not broken the surface and remains entirely encased in the bone. While the risk of infection is low, a small percentage of these will form a cyst in the jaw. This hollow space can expand and result in fracture of the jaw.

Wisdom teeth causing pain and infection give a clear warning sign that treatment needs consideration. But some problems can also slowly develop without your awareness. If you’re an adult with wisdom teeth, be sure they’re evaluated periodically for changes using a panoramic x-ray.

If you need to consider wisdom teeth removal, our doctors can discuss options with you. Various forms of sedation offer anxiety-reduction that puts this minor surgical procedure within reach of every patient that needs it.