Simple Tooth ExtractionsA Simple extraction is one in which the dentist can remove the tooth simply by loosening the gums around it, grasping the crown above the gum line with a plier-like forceps and then moving it side to side until it loosens from the bone. Teeth are normally held into the bone by a thin sheathe of soft tissue that separates it from the bone like a sock separates a foot from a shoe. This sheathe is called the periodontal ligament, and it is this structure which ultimately enables the dentist to remove the tooth. The key to simple extractions is to rock the tooth side to side slowly enlarging the socket in the bone while at the same time breaking the ligament which binds the tooth in the socket.