Dental extraction refers to the removal of an unwanted tooth from the mouth. This may be desired for a variety of reasons, such as to eliminate tooth decay, breakage or problematic wisdom teeth. Often teeth are removed to make room for orthodontic treatment or implant.

A simple extraction is done on visible teeth with the patient under local anesthetic. A specialist will use an instrument to grasp and slowly remove the unwanted tooth. A surgical extraction involves the removal of teeth that are not easily accessed because they remain under the gum line. An incision is made and the tooth, and often the surrounding bone tissue, is removed.