Surgical Extraction Procedure

Surgical extraction
I start by escorting the patient into the surgery I put full personal protective equipment on myself and the patient, I have placed all needed instruments on the work top for the dentist to access.
Instruments:
* Mirror, probe and tweezers * Local anaesthetic equipment * Aspirator and saliva ejector * Hand piece (fast slow and straight) and surgical burs * Scapel, periosteal elevator and swabs * Retractors * Forceps * Elevators * Bone forceps * Bone files * Curettes * Disposable syringe and sterile saline * Dissecting forceps, needle holder, suture needles, scissors
The dentist 1st takes a x-ray to check if the tooth is ok to extract, post opp instructions are given to the patient,
the dentist then inserts the LA around the extensively decayed tooth.
A straight probe is used to poke the soft tissue around the tooth to confirm the area is numb and the tooth is ready to extract. I pass the dentist a elevator to loosen the tooth from its socket. I then pass her a upper molar forcep, the crown of the tooth has fractured off. The elevators are the used to loosen the roots individually, I aspirate closely to the tooth to ensure the patient does not swallows anything. The fasthand piece with the surgical burs is used to divide the roots and tweezers are used to pick out any small pieces. A slit is made in the gum with a scalpel. The flap is raised from the surface of the bone with a periosteal elevator this exposes the bare bone, some of this bone now must be removed to reveal the underlying roots. A mattel and chisel is used for bone removal. Having removed sufficient bone in this way the roots can be loosened and grasped with forceps and removed. Any sharp edges of bone on the socket are removed with bone forceps and their margins smoothed with a bone file. The socket is then
cleared of all debris with a curette, followed by irrigation with warm sterile saline in a large disposable syringe. Finally the gingiva flap is sutured banck into place. The flap is held in position with tooth coloured dissecting forceps and the small curved needle is held with special needle holders. The loose ends are then cut off with fine scissors. After the operation the patientnis given some analgestic tablets, or a prescription for them and is instructed to return a few days later for the removal of sutures. The patient is also asked if he is feeling ok to leave and is given after care instructions written and orally by the dentist or myself.