It's Like Pulling Teeth!

The saying “like pulling teeth” has several meanings:

• Having a hard time extracting information from someone
• Something that’s very difficult and you don’t want to do it
• Something that is very slow and hard to do that will take a lot of work to complete

Though it is usually better to keep your own tooth if that is possible, there are times when pulling a tooth is necessary. There may not be room for the tooth (as is often the case for wisdom teeth), or the tooth may be too badly damaged to be able to be restored. Thankfully, pulling teeth is not often “like pulling teeth”.

If you are going to have a tooth pulled, see a dentist or oral surgeon. (An oral surgeon is a dental specialist who removes teeth and does other surgical procedures in the facial region. Oral surgeons often have sedation options available at their office or have hospital privileges if hospitalization is needed for medical reasons.) There is a technique to pulling teeth—your jawbone anchors your tooth and if the bone around your teeth is not affected by gum disease, you will not be able to get your tooth out by pulling it, but you might break it off and leave the root in your bones and gums, making it harder for the dentist or oral surgeon to get it out for you. (Baby teeth are an exception to this. As the adult tooth comes in, the roots of the baby tooth are absorbed. This is why the baby tooth gets loose and eventually comes out!)

You can learn more about extractions (tooth removal) in the Patient Education section of my website. Check under Oral Surgery!

Dr. Jennifer Robb is a general dentist located at 1612 Cooper Foster Park Rd., Lorain, OH. She is accepting new patients; call 440-960-1940! Find out more about Dr. Robb at www.drjrobb.com or find her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DrJenniferRobb