Where There Is No Dentist 2012 165
5. Now, take out the tooth. Push your forceps as far up the tooth as
possible. The beaks of the forceps must hold onto the root under the gum.
YES
NO
Use your other hand to support the bone around the tooth. Your fingers
will feel the bone expanding a little at a
time as the tooth comes free.
With practice, you will be
able to decide how much
movement the tooth can
take without breaking.
To decide which way
to move a tooth,
think about how
many roots it has.
If a tooth has 1 root, you can turn it.
If a tooth has 2 or 3 roots,
you need to tip it back and forth.
Take your time. If you hurry and squeeze your
forceps too tightly, you can break a tooth.
Removing a tooth is like pulling a post out of the
ground. When you move it back and forth a little more
each time, it soon becomes loose enough to come out.