EXTRACTIONS
We will only remove your tooth when no other option is suitable. If a tooth has been broken or damaged by extreme decay, we will try to fix it with a filling, crown or other treatment. Sometimes, though, there's too much damage for the tooth to be repaired. In this case, a tooth extraction is performed.
Your dentist will take an X-ray of the area to help plan the best way to remove the tooth. Be sure to provide your full medical and dental history and a list of all medicines you take. This should include both prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements.
Sometimes you may be prescribed antibiotics to be taken before and after surgery.
Antibiotics are more likely to be given if:
Most simple extractions can be done using just an injection (a local anesthetic). During a tooth extraction, you can expect to feel pressure, but no pain. If you feel any pain or pinching, tell your dentist.
After the extraction, you may need someone to drive you home and stay there with you. Your dentist will give you detailed instructions on what to do and what to expect after your surgery. It is very important that you follow them. If you have any questions, make sure to ask us before you leave the office.
Having a tooth taken out is surgery. You can expect some discomfort after even simple extractions. Usually it is mild.
A cut in the mouth tends to bleed more than a cut on the skin because it cannot dry out and form a scab. After an extraction, you'll be asked to bite on a piece of gauze for 20 to 30 minutes. This pressure will allow the blood to clot. You still have a small amount of bleeding for the next 24 hours or so. It should taper off after that. Don't disturb the clot that forms on the wound.
You can put ice packs on your face to reduce swelling. Typically, they are left on for 20 minutes at a time and removed for 20 minutes. If your jaw is sore and stiff after the swelling goes away, try warm compresses.
Eat soft and cool foods for a few days. Then try other food as you feel comfortable.
A gentle rinse with warm salt water, started 4 hours after the surgery, can help to keep the area clean. Use one-half teaspoon of salt in a cup of water. Most swelling and bleeding end within a day or two after the surgery. Initial healing takes at least two weeks. Continue the warm salty rinses after every meal for ONE week.
You should not smoke, use a straw or spit after surgery. These actions can pull the blood clot out of the hole where the tooth was.
There are a number of reasons why a person might need a tooth, or even multiple teeth, extracted. They include:
a) Broken, cracked, or extensively decayed teeth. The obstacles associated with repairing some teeth that have extensive decay or else have broken or cracked in an extreme manner may make extraction the only choice. In other cases, the needed treatment's cost, or else a question of its long-term success, may make extraction the most reasonable option.
b) Teeth that are unsuitable candidates for root canal treatment. If the option of receiving the needed root canal treatment is not possible, the only alternative is to extract the tooth.
c) Teeth that have advanced gum disease. In cases where periodontal disease (gum disease) has caused a significant amount of bone damage and the affected teeth have become excessively mobile, extraction may be the only option.
d) Tooth extractions may be required for orthodontic reasons. When orthodontic treatment is performed, the dentist may be limited by the amount of jaw space (length) they have to work with. If so, some strategically-located teeth may need to be sacrificed.
When can having an extraction be a bad idea?
The simplicity of having a tooth extracted might seem to be an attractive choice in comparison to the cost and effort involved with salvaging it. But this solution is unlikely to be the best, or even the cheapest, choice over the long run.
When one tooth is extracted, its neighboring teeth will tend to drift into its vacant space, sometimes significantly so. Any alignment changes that do take place can have a major impact on your dental health and appearance.
Removing even a single tooth can lead to problems with chewing ability or jaw-joint function. Additionally, the spaces that form between shifted teeth can become traps for food and debris. Their presence can place your teeth at greater risk for the formation of tooth decay and gum disease.
Having an extraction may not really be the cheapest solution. Choosing an extraction may seem to be the least expensive option initially. But this determination may not be accurate when the larger picture is considered.
To avoid the types of complications mentioned above, in most cases your dentist will recommend to you that you replace your extracted tooth. Replacement teeth can easily cost more than the alternative of not extracting a tooth and instead rebuilding it.
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON WISDOM TEETH EXTRACTIONS
Contact us today and make an appointment to find out more.
Your dentist will take an X-ray of the area to help plan the best way to remove the tooth. Be sure to provide your full medical and dental history and a list of all medicines you take. This should include both prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins and supplements.
Sometimes you may be prescribed antibiotics to be taken before and after surgery.
Antibiotics are more likely to be given if:
- You have infection at the time of surgery
- You have a weakened immune system
- You will have a long surgery
- You have specific medical conditions
Most simple extractions can be done using just an injection (a local anesthetic). During a tooth extraction, you can expect to feel pressure, but no pain. If you feel any pain or pinching, tell your dentist.
After the extraction, you may need someone to drive you home and stay there with you. Your dentist will give you detailed instructions on what to do and what to expect after your surgery. It is very important that you follow them. If you have any questions, make sure to ask us before you leave the office.
Having a tooth taken out is surgery. You can expect some discomfort after even simple extractions. Usually it is mild.
A cut in the mouth tends to bleed more than a cut on the skin because it cannot dry out and form a scab. After an extraction, you'll be asked to bite on a piece of gauze for 20 to 30 minutes. This pressure will allow the blood to clot. You still have a small amount of bleeding for the next 24 hours or so. It should taper off after that. Don't disturb the clot that forms on the wound.
You can put ice packs on your face to reduce swelling. Typically, they are left on for 20 minutes at a time and removed for 20 minutes. If your jaw is sore and stiff after the swelling goes away, try warm compresses.
Eat soft and cool foods for a few days. Then try other food as you feel comfortable.
A gentle rinse with warm salt water, started 4 hours after the surgery, can help to keep the area clean. Use one-half teaspoon of salt in a cup of water. Most swelling and bleeding end within a day or two after the surgery. Initial healing takes at least two weeks. Continue the warm salty rinses after every meal for ONE week.
You should not smoke, use a straw or spit after surgery. These actions can pull the blood clot out of the hole where the tooth was.
There are a number of reasons why a person might need a tooth, or even multiple teeth, extracted. They include:
a) Broken, cracked, or extensively decayed teeth. The obstacles associated with repairing some teeth that have extensive decay or else have broken or cracked in an extreme manner may make extraction the only choice. In other cases, the needed treatment's cost, or else a question of its long-term success, may make extraction the most reasonable option.
b) Teeth that are unsuitable candidates for root canal treatment. If the option of receiving the needed root canal treatment is not possible, the only alternative is to extract the tooth.
c) Teeth that have advanced gum disease. In cases where periodontal disease (gum disease) has caused a significant amount of bone damage and the affected teeth have become excessively mobile, extraction may be the only option.
d) Tooth extractions may be required for orthodontic reasons. When orthodontic treatment is performed, the dentist may be limited by the amount of jaw space (length) they have to work with. If so, some strategically-located teeth may need to be sacrificed.
When can having an extraction be a bad idea?
The simplicity of having a tooth extracted might seem to be an attractive choice in comparison to the cost and effort involved with salvaging it. But this solution is unlikely to be the best, or even the cheapest, choice over the long run.
When one tooth is extracted, its neighboring teeth will tend to drift into its vacant space, sometimes significantly so. Any alignment changes that do take place can have a major impact on your dental health and appearance.
Removing even a single tooth can lead to problems with chewing ability or jaw-joint function. Additionally, the spaces that form between shifted teeth can become traps for food and debris. Their presence can place your teeth at greater risk for the formation of tooth decay and gum disease.
Having an extraction may not really be the cheapest solution. Choosing an extraction may seem to be the least expensive option initially. But this determination may not be accurate when the larger picture is considered.
To avoid the types of complications mentioned above, in most cases your dentist will recommend to you that you replace your extracted tooth. Replacement teeth can easily cost more than the alternative of not extracting a tooth and instead rebuilding it.
CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON WISDOM TEETH EXTRACTIONS
Contact us today and make an appointment to find out more.
