In which phase of dental therapy is exodontia (extraction of teeth) performed when necessary?

The extraction of teeth, or exodontia, is typically performed during Phase I therapy, often referred to as nonsurgical periodontal therapy. This phase focuses on controlling disease and establishing a healthy periodontal environment. Exodontia may be necessary when teeth are non-restorable due to severe periodontal disease, caries, or other factors that compromise the health of the surrounding tissues.

In this initial phase, the goal is to remove disease, both by managing existing periodontal conditions and by extracting teeth that cannot be saved, thereby reducing the overall bacterial load and improving the patient's oral health. Other therapies, such as scaling and root planing, may also occur in this phase, but exodontia is an important intervention to eliminate sources of infection and promote healing.

Later phases, such as Phase II, Phase III, and Phase IV, typically focus on further restoration and maintenance of dental and periodontal health, rather than the removal of teeth. Therefore, recognizing the role of exodontia in the context of Phase I therapy is crucial for understanding the overall treatment sequence in periodontal care.