Common Problems

What problems can occur with an extraction?

 

1) Not all the tooth gets removed.

Often a root tip will fracture off during the course of an extraction or the dentist will decide to lessen the trauma and leave a piece of tooth root behind.  Providing the piece is small and not associated with an abscess the dentist may decide to leave the piece alone.

There are three possible outcomes when this occurs

1. Bone will form around the root tip and area can be left alone.

2. The piece of root will work its way to the surface and then can be easily removed at a later date.

3. The root tip will get infected and need to be surgically removed usually by a specialist.

2) Dry Socket or Alveolar Osteitis

This is the condition when there is severe inflammation (not bacterial infection) of the bone round the extraction site.

The condition is extremely painful and uncomfortable. It occurs usually when the blood clot is lost from where the tooth was extracted. It occurs more often

• After difficult extractions

• In people with very dense (unvascularised) bone

• In people who smoker

Treatment includes the placement of a oil of cloves dressing and appropriate pain relief. It may take up to three days for the site to settle down.

3) Bone Fragments

Often after a back molar tooth is extracted the pieces of surrounding bone fail to be initially resorbed by the body. Often a sharp bone spike can make its way to the gum surface. The piece of bone is easily removed.

4) A hole through to the sinus

This is rare.

The roots of upper back molar and premolar teeth lie close to the maxillary sinus. Usually there is a thick layer of bone separating them. In rare occasions the layer of bone is very thin and in some cases missing all together.

In these cases when the tooth is removed a hole will open up to the sinus. The size and severity will determine the treatment. Often the extraction site will just be packed with special foam, however an Oral Surgeon may be needed to close the hole.

5) A root in the sinus

This is very rare.

Again due to the lack of bone between the bottom of an upper back tooth and air sinus a tip of a tooth may get accidentally pushed into the sinus. In this situation a referral to a Oral Surgeon is required.