Dr. Thomas Saitta, DDS
Extractions
When a tooth is genuinely past saving, or a wisdom tooth needs to come out before it causes a problem, Dr. Saitta removes it under local or general anesthesia.
Chapter 01
When saving the tooth stops being the plan
Most of the teeth Dr. Saitta treats can be repaired with a filling, a crown, or root canal therapy. An extraction is what happens when a tooth is genuinely past that point: decay or a fracture has taken so much of the tooth that there is nothing left to restore, or the roots and surrounding bone can no longer support it.
Wisdom teeth are the routine case. They often do not have room to come in properly, and removing them before they cause pain, crowding, or infection is a normal, planned part of care rather than an emergency.
Hallway at Crown Dentistry of the Palm Beaches leading to the treatment rooms where extractions are performed
Why an impacted wisdom tooth gets infected
When a wisdom tooth is impacted, it is partly covered by a flap of gum tissue called the operculum. Food and bacteria collect underneath it, and the tooth itself is hard to keep clean because it sits so far back.
That combination leads to pericoronitis, an infection of the gum around the partially erupted tooth. It is a common reason wisdom teeth end up sore and swollen, and it is one of the clearest signs that the tooth needs to come out rather than wait.
Chapter 03
Anesthesia, sutures, and the days that follow
Dr. Saitta chooses local or general anesthesia based on the assessment and on what the patient is comfortable with. Where stitches are needed, soluble sutures are used, so there is no separate visit just to have them removed.
Afterward, the diet stays soft for a few days: gelatin, pudding, yogurt, mashed potatoes, ice cream, and thin soups. No straws and no smoking, since both can dislodge the healing clot. Resting with the head propped up rather than lying flat helps reduce bleeding, and because of the anesthesia, patients need a ride home from the appointment.
Crown Dentistry, We accept most PPO insurance plans and CareCredit financing. Call (561) 964-2002.