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At CV Dental Care, we are dedicated to helping you preserve as many of your natural teeth as possible. Protecting and improving the health of your smile is our first priority. There are times, however, when removing an impacted tooth is unavoidable. If one of your teeth is severely damaged, it may be necessary to extract the tooth to prevent any further complications.
A tooth extraction is most commonly required if:
- A tooth is deeply decayed or in the advanced stages of gum disease
- A tooth does not respond to a root canal therapy
- A tooth has extensive bone loss
- A tooth has a fractured root
- A tooth is broken beyond repair
- A tooth is poorly positioned, such as an impacted or problematic wisdom tooth
- Erupting wisdom teeth interfere with the orthodontic alignment of teeth
We understand that replacing missing teeth or whether to do so at all may be a challenging decision for many patients. There is a number of negative consequences patients can suffer over time, if they decide against tooth replacement: shifting teeth that affect the bite and cause difficulty chewing, an empty space noticeable in a smile, or even further damage to the adjoining teeth. We strongly advise replacing the missing tooth or teeth with an implant, fixed bridge, or denture as soon as possible.
Тhe Tooth Extractions Process
Before removing your tooth, your dentist will numb the area—jawbone and gums– where the tooth will be removed, using a local anesthetic. If several or all of your teeth need to be removed, a stronger, general anesthetic may be used. Your dentist will insert special tools between the tooth and gum surrounding the tooth, moving it back and forth within the socket (the bone that encases the tooth’s root) until it separates from the ligament that holds the tooth in place. You’ll feel a lot of pressure during this process without feeling pain. This is because the anesthetic has numbed the nerves stopping the transference of pain, yet the nerves that transmit pressure are not profoundly affected. The whole procedure should take minutes to complete. Let your dentist know if you do feel pain at any time during the extraction.
After the extraction, you need to bite on a gauze pad for 30-45 minutes to allow for a blood clot to form to stop the bleeding. You may need to place another gauze pad and bite firmly for another 30 minutes, if the bleeding still persists. You may have to do this several times to restrain the flow of blood. Avoid rinsing vigorously, sucking on straws, smoking, drinking alcohol, or brushing teeth next to the extraction site for 72 hours. As there may be some pain and swelling after the extraction, an ice pack applied to the area will keep swelling to a minimum. The swelling usually subsides after 48 hours.
Use the prescribed pain medication as directed. Call our office if the medication doesn’t seem to be working. If antibiotics are prescribed, continue to take them for the indicated length of time even if signs and symptoms of infection are gone. Drink lots of fluids and eat nutritious, soft food on the day of the extraction. It is important to resume your normal dental routine after 24 hours, including brushing and flossing at least once a day. This will speed healing process and help keep your mouth fresh and clean.
Call our office immediately if you have heavy bleeding, severe pain, continued swelling for 2-3 days, or a reaction to the medication.