A tooth extraction, or dental extraction, is the removal of a damaged, infected, or otherwise problematic tooth by a dentist or oral surgeon to protect your overall oral health. If you have been told you may need a tooth pulled because of infection, wisdom tooth problems, injury, severe decay, gum disease, or to prepare for dental implants, this guide explains why that recommendation can be the right next step.
The ideal scenario for a healthy mouth is to retain all of your natural teeth. However, there are plenty of times that a person’s oral health declines whether that is due to mistreatment, disease, or injury. Depending on the affected tooth and several factors in your dental history and medical history, the tooth extraction procedure may be a routine extraction, a simple extraction, or a surgical extraction performed as an oral surgery procedure to address common reasons you may need a tooth extraction.
If your oral surgeon has recommended a tooth extraction, it is important to know that the removal is purposeful: it can eliminate a source of dental pain or infection, help protect other teeth, preserve future oral health, and create the right foundation for later dental treatment such as an implant, even if the tooth is not currently causing pain.
Tooth Extraction Procedure Can Remove Infection Source
An infected tooth is always a health concern and needs treatment. Before a tooth extraction, the dentist or oral surgeon reviews your medical history, dental history, and X-rays to plan the right dental treatment. In this kind of infection’s case, a root canal can sometimes solve the issue and remove the infection, but severe tooth decay, advanced gum disease, persistent dental pain, and dental caries are also common reasons for tooth removal. The tooth extraction procedure may be a routine extraction or a surgical procedure depending on several factors and case complexity. If it is bad enough though, a dental extraction may be recommended to you to remove all of the infection in the area. Local anesthesia is used to numb the area in the extraction area, often with a local anesthetic shot to prevent pain, and sedation or general anesthesia may also be offered by a dentist in appropriate cases. This means your mouth will maintain a healthy, infection-free environment and will stand a better chance of recovery.
Tooth Extractions by an Oral Surgeon Help Future Oral Health
Sometimes a tooth extraction may be decided on to protect your oral health in the future, so preparing for the extraction and managing anxiety can make the experience much easier. A wisdom tooth extraction is a good example, because these molars often need removal when there is not enough space or when they are impacted. When a wisdom tooth is impacted, the surgical extraction may require cutting the gum tissue to reach the affected tooth, and removing wisdom teeth early can often make this process simpler with a smoother recovery. Maxillary molars and third molars can lie close to vital anatomy, so the oral surgeon checks for risks such as inferior dental nerve injury, reported in 0.35% to 8.4% of cases, or communication with the maxillary sinus. In this case your oral surgeon will extract the teeth so that you can save yourself the discomfort and pain associated with their growth.
Extractions Open Space for Dental Implants and Bone Graft
If you are at a point in your life where you have chosen to get dental implants, extracting your teeth is a prerequisite to the procedure. In this case, your oral surgeon will take out your teeth and roots to make space for the new, beautiful implants, and if the extraction site is being prepared for implants, the socket will usually heal completely in 1 to 2 weeks while complete recovery of the bone takes longer.
A blood clot forms in the tooth socket during the first 24 hours and must be protected for proper healing. Good tooth extraction aftercare includes using gauze and a firm bite to control bleeding, which usually slows within 1 to 2 hours, resting for the first 24 hours, avoiding strenuous activity and heavy lifting, and not smoking or rinsing violently. After a tooth extraction, eat soft foods such as yogurt and mashed potatoes to reduce discomfort. Mild to moderate facial swelling and soreness are normal, but dry socket, or alveolar osteitis, can happen in 2% to 5% of cases if the clot is disturbed. If implants are planned, a bone graft may sometimes be placed to preserve the alveolar bone and surrounding bone after tooth removal.
If you need to have a tooth extracted do not worry, it is only for the betterment of your oral health. Parents can also schedule wisdom teeth evaluations for their children, and patients seeking wisdom teeth removal in Mesquite, NV or wisdom teeth removal in St. George, UT can rely on Shawn B. Davis at Oral & Facial Surgery Institute to take care of you and any concerns that you have! Contact us today: (435) 238-7083