Essential Information You Must Have about Tooth Extractions

Tooth extractions are standard and performed by dentists and oral surgeons for various reasons. The problem affecting you can be a painful wisdom tooth or a tooth severely damaged by tooth decay. On occasions, dentists recommend tooth removal to accommodate dental prosthetics or orthodontic braces.

If you confront a complicated situation, an oral surgeon and not a dentist may perform dental extractions. Oral surgeons routinely extract the third molars of wisdom teeth in many cases. Tooth removal is never pleasant, but it is vital to relieve pain and prevent problems later. However, dentists and surgeons ensure they numb the tooth to make you feel more comfortable before proceeding with the removal.

What Are Tooth Extractions?

Tooth extraction is the removal of a tooth from its socket. Dentists or oral surgeons recommend tooth removal for various reasons, including gum disease, dental cavities, dental infections, wisdom teeth complications, trauma or injuries to the tooth or surrounding bone, preparation for dental braces if teeth are crowded, and baby teeth remaining in the mouth for too long.

What Types of Extractions Do Dentists Perform?

The most suitable type of dental extraction depends on the position, location, size, and shape of the tooth. Extractions are classified by dental surgeons as simple or surgical. Simple extractions involve removing a tooth visible in the mouth that dentists can pull in one piece. Surgical extractions are complicated and require the removal of gum tissue and bone. Oral surgeons may require to extract the tooth in parts. Wisdom teeth are the last to erupt but the first to receive recommendations for extractions in many people because they remain impacted below the gum line, indicating they haven’t fully emerged from the gums. As a result, wisdom teeth removal is a standard procedure in oral surgery.

Preparing for Tooth Extractions

When preparing for tooth extractions, you have a consultation with your dentist or oral surgeon before the procedure. The dentist requests your entire medical history asking you about any medications you are taking. You may need to stop or start taking some medicines in the days leading to the procedure depending on the number of dental extractions you expect to have and the complexity of the process. You may also receive some medications on the day of the procedure.

If you are taking blood thinners, you must let the dental surgeon know about them during your consultation. The surgeon may request a blood test to tell you whether to switch to a different blood thinner or stop the medication temporarily.

In some circumstances, dentists prescribe antibiotics before tooth extractions. For example, you may need antibiotics if you’re at a high risk of endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves of the inner lining of the heart chamber. The American Heart Association and the ADA recommend you take antibiotics to reduce the risk of infections if you have a prosthetic cardiac valve, a cardiac transplant with structural abnormalities of the valve, and other conditions.

Anesthesia during Tooth Removal

You receive local anesthesia near the site of numb the area, so you don’t feel any pain. The numbness lingers for a few hours after the operation. You can request more potent anesthesia or sedatives if you are anxious about the procedure.

Before starting tooth removal, the surgeon x-rays your tooth to help evaluate the curvature and the angle of the tooth’s root. If the tooth is buried below the gums or bone, the surgeon must make incisions in the gums and extract the obstructing bone. While you don’t experience any pain, you can expect to feel some pressure against the tooth.

After completing tooth removal, the dentist in Phoenix, AZ, performs additional procedures to prevent bleeding. First, the dentist places a thick layer of gauze over the extraction site asking you to bite down on it to absorb blood and help clot formation.

Tooth Extraction Recovery

Please find below helpful tips to reduce discomfort and promote healing after tooth removal.

• You will experience discomfort after the numbing medication wears off in a few hours. However, if the numbness persists, contact the dentist for help.
• The dentist prescribes or recommends over-the-counter painkillers to alleviate pain after tooth removal. Take the medicines as prescribed or recommended without exceeding the dosage.
• The initial 24 hours after tooth removal are incredibly important. Do not irritate or disturb the site of the extraction for fear of dislodging the blood clot.
• Do not rinse your mouth, drink alcoholic beverages or use a straw for drinking liquids after tooth removal.
• Subsist on a diet of soft foods and drink plenty of liquids.
• You can continue brushing and flossing after tooth removal, careful not to disturb the blood clot.

Tooth Extraction Infection

You can experience a dry socket which is not an infection but is the exposure of the bone and area of the extraction site because blood clot formation has not been completed or the clot has dislodged. Dry sockets cause intense pain and bad breath. If you experience a dry socket, discuss with your dentist to place a sedative dressing over the extraction site.

Infections can also occur when bacteria infect the gum line and around the socket 24 to 48 hours after the surgery. If you experience persistent swelling, fever, swollen glands in the neck, or pus and redness around the extraction site, you must follow up with your dentist and seek treatment.

Besides, the above tooth extractions are standard and usually beneficial if your dentist or oral surgeon recommends them.