Dental extractions are recommended for:

• Teeth are blocked from coming in
• Orthodontics preparations
• A tooth that is severely damaged or decayed and cannot be restored
• A tooth that is impacted or partially erupted
• Wisdom teeth

Piezosurgery

The Piezo Device is an ultrasonic appliance that assists with extracting teeth. The special ultrasonic micro vibrations of the Piezo technique only cut bone, leaving important soft tissue unharmed. This device is a less traumatic approach to removing teeth and allows dentists to work much more efficiently in the mouth. Dr. Guttery favors the Piezo device for its ability to increase healing time, decrease pain, eliminate soft tissue trauma and make the overall process easier on the patient.

What to Expect (Dental Extractions)

Prior to extracting your tooth, we provide local anesthetic which keeps both your gums and teeth comfortably numb. If an anesthetic doesn’t seem adequate, we have several options to explore to ensure your extraction is pain-free. You may feel pressure, but the overall procedure is very quick. Discomfort after the procedure can be managed with over-the-counter pain NSAIDs, like Advil. Avoid using a straw, spitting or smoking 24 hours after the extraction and eat soft foods for the next few days.

Socket Preservation

After a tooth extraction, you’ll be left with an empty socket. Socket preservation goes hand-in-hand with tooth extraction and is highly recommended to prevent bone loss and “dry sockets.” One way to speed up the socket preservation process is by using bone grafts to stimulate bone growth. The sooner the socket heals and is ready for an implant, the less changes there are for complications and future dental health problems. With Dr. Guttery’s experience in surgical and hospital dentistry, he will be able to walk you through the best type of bone graft for you and your socket.

What to Expect (Socket Preservation)

Socket preservation is relatively painless. After applying a local anesthetic, we will either take a small amount of bone from elsewhere in your mouth and graft it to the socket, or we will use synthetic bone. This placement encourages your body to finish growing bone into the socket.

After the procedure, you’ll have a few stitches that will dissolve naturally or be removed by your doctor. You will also need to avoid rinsing your mouth for 24 hours, and avoid brushing the area for 48 hours. Do not smoke for at least two weeks after the procedure. If you receive antibiotics to reduce the treat of infection after your procedure, take them as directed.