Extractions & Wisdom Teeth

When a tooth is too damaged to save, by decay, fracture, failed previous treatment, or severe infection, extraction is the right decision. Attempting to preserve a tooth beyond its clinical viability leads to ongoing pain, spreading infection, and bone loss that ultimately makes future tooth replacement more difficult. A well-timed extraction, followed by an appropriate replacement plan, is the better outcome. Wisdom teeth are a separate and very common problem.

Most adults do not have enough space in their jaws for all four third molars to erupt fully and correctly. The result is an impacted tooth, one that is partially or fully trapped beneath the gum line, often growing at an angle that pushes against the adjacent molar. Impacted wisdom teeth cause episodic pain, infection in the surrounding gum (pericoronitis), and can gradually damage the roots of the neighbouring tooth if left in place. Before extraction, we take a periapical or OPG radiograph to assess root anatomy and nerve proximity.