Sectioning Teeth

At Riverwalk Dental, patients can count on us for quick, safe tooth extractions with minimal discomfort. Recently, we mentioned that one of the reasons the wisdom teeth are often removed is because they don’t have enough room to erupt. In those cases, they wouldn’t have enough room to be pulled or levered directly out, either, which is why we section them.

Typically, teeth are removed by rocking them gently while pushing them upward (if in the lower jaw) or pulling them (if in the upper jaw). Even if a wisdom tooth is not trapped below the gum line, this approach may not work because the wisdom teeth are anchored in the mouth by strong ligaments. Attempting to yank them all at once would require a lot of force and could hurt the patient. As an alternative, dentists use a drill to cut the teeth into smaller sections. The patient is kept numb during this and a stream of water prevents the drill from overheating. The smaller tooth sections do not require as much force to remove or as much room to be maneuvered through.

Dr. Jared Palmer and his team operate Riverwalk Dental at 540 6^th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta, T2G 1K5, Canada. To schedule an appointment, call 1-403-456-4994 or visit Riverwalk Dental.