When a tooth is visible above the gum line and your dentist can easily remove it with forceps, the procedure is called a simple extraction. If a more volatile tooth has yet to grow in, however, your dentist needs to remove gum tissue or bone, to extract it. This is called a surgical extraction and requires stitches to close the site so that it can heal properly. Wisdom teeth often face surgical extraction because they're usually impacted, meaning they are not completely erupted into the mouth.