UT Southwestern Medical Center physicians are leaders in the field of maxillofacial and oral surgery, offering a range of services and procedures for tooth extraction.

While wisdom teeth are the most common teeth to be removed, there are patients who require the extraction of other types of teeth due to tooth decay or gum disease. The expert oral surgeons at UT Southwestern routinely perform these and other dental surgeries at one of the area’s premier medical and research facilities.

The average adult has 32 teeth by the age of 18, each with a specific name and function. Yet the average mouth can accommodate only 28 teeth, thus requiring the removal of the third molars, or “wisdom teeth.” These teeth can cause a variety of problems by growing in sideways, partially emerging and at times remaining trapped beneath the gum and the bone. This misalignment may cause damage to other teeth and sometimes can cause jaw and nerve pain.

UT Southwestern physicians use X-rays to evaluate the position of the wisdom teeth and determine whether they pose a present or future problem.

Dentists may recommend that patients see an oral surgeon for the removal of other teeth due to a variety of reasons ranging from decay to gum disease.

Due to advances in surgical and anesthesia techniques, tooth extraction is usually performed on an outpatient basis under local anesthesia and sedation.

UT Southwestern’s comprehensive medical resources enable patients to have an initial consultation, testing, follow-up visits and any needed medical procedures all in one location