Tooth Extraction Services at our Athens Dental Office

Periodontal disease is a progressive, destructive condition that begins with a gum (periodontal) infection. Eventually, the infection spreads into the bone that supports the tooth roots and the bone is destroyed. With progressive bone loss, the tooth roots become loose and the tooth nerve is damaged. After a time, the tooth becomes unsalvageable and must be extracted.

Wisdom teeth erupt as a teenager; they are a set of four ‘third’ molars that are positioned far in the back of the mouth behind the twelve-year permanent molars (second molars). Interestingly, not all patients develop third molars, usually this is related to heredity.

Most patients do not have room in the mouth for wisdom teeth, they are difficult to keep clean and tend to accumulate plaque, causing gum irritation in the area. As a result, most patients experience swelling and discomfort as wisdom teeth erupt, and they are a constant source of soreness as the gums around the teeth stay inflamed.

Sometimes wisdom teeth develop but do not erupt; they may become fully or partially impacted because there is simply not enough room for them to completely erupt. These can be a problem if they interact with the other teeth and cause problems such as tooth decay or bone loss.

In most cases, dentists recommend extraction of wisdom teeth. Based on the position of wisdom teeth and the development of the tooth roots, Dr. Barker may request that wisdom be removed by a surgical specialist, an oral surgeon. We work closely with local Athens oral surgery offices and will help you with a referral if you require wisdom teeth removal.

Tooth pain caused by infection can usually be greatly relieved by a combination of medications, local anesthetic and timely treatment.

Each of our teeth have an important job to do in terms of chewing and supporting the bite. Saving your tooth and restoring it to a healthy state is usually more budget-friendly than removing it. A root canal treatment and crown, for example, are usually much less costly than a replacement procedure, such as a dental implant and crown, a bridge, or a denture.

When a tooth extraction becomes necessary, your Athens dentist, Dr. Lane Barker and our Magnolia Dental Spa team will do everything we can to make sure you are completely comfortable.

Dr. Barker performs routine and minor surgical tooth extractions in the comfort of our Athens dental office, Magnolia Dental Spa. For your tooth extraction, he will review your digital dental x-rays and photos with you so that you fully understand the procedure and the expected healing time afterwards.

Following your tooth extraction, we recommend that you rest at home and have a light diet of soft foods, broth and non-carbonated beverages. The goal is to give the tooth socket and the surrounding soft tissue time to heal.

Generally, we will see you about a week after tooth extraction for a follow-up visit. Some slight bleeding and minor discomfort are normal during this time, but we would rather that you call us than worry! If you have questions or concerns following your tooth extraction, we want to hear from you, please call us 706.607.9772.