When an oral health issue progresses, it damages your tooth and poses a risk of developing secondary complications. In such cases, the dentist might recommend a restorative dental procedure. However, if the tooth restoration is not suitable, your dentist or oral surgeon will recommend tooth removal as a last resort.
Some of the reasons why the dentist would recommend tooth extractions include:
- Severely-decayed tooth
- A broken or fractured tooth
- Impacted wisdom teeth
- To provide space for a dental prosthesis
- Injury or trauma to the surrounding bone
- Preparation for orthodontic treatments
- Primary teeth not falling at the right age
Types of Tooth Removal
The type of dental extraction depends on several factors. Factors that influence the type of tooth extraction include the tooth’s shape, size, location, and position.
Therefore, tooth extraction can be surgical or simple. A surgical tooth extraction entails removing teeth that are not visible over the gums. On the other hand, simple tooth extraction involves removing a tooth that is above your gums. When carrying out a surgical tooth extraction, the oral surgeon might have to remove it in pieces.
Preparing for Tooth Extraction
A dental extraction is an invasive oral procedure. Therefore, you might need to consult the dentist or oral surgeon to eliminate the risk of complications during the procedure.
During the consultation, the dentist will examine your teeth to determine the number that requires removal and its position on the jaw. After the dental exam, your dentist will design a treatment plan. If the teeth are not visible over the gum, the dentist will refer you to an oral surgeon.
To reduce the risk of complications during the tooth extraction, the dentist will ask you about your health and medication history. For example, if you are using blood thinners, you might need to stop since they inhibit blood clotting.
The dentist or oral surgeon can control bleeding at the extraction site by using the following:
- Topical clotting medications on the gums
- Stitching up the extraction site
- Packing up the extraction socket with dissolvable gauze or foam
In some scenarios, the oral surgeon might prescribe antibiotics, especially if you have a dental infection that is causing secondary symptoms such as fever and malaise. Also, if you are at risk of infective endocarditis, you will require antibiotics.
Surgical Tooth Extraction Procedure
Wisdom tooth extraction is a surgical tooth removal procedure. During the extraction procedure, the oral surgeon will administer local anesthesia depending on the number of teeth that require removal.
Next, the oral surgeon will make incisions on your gums and cut through the jawbone. The oral surgeon will then cut the tooth into pieces and use forceps to lift them from the jawbone. To prevent excessive blood loss, your oral surgeon will apply a gauze pad on the site of extraction.
Simple Tooth Extraction
When getting your visible tooth pulled, the dentist will begin by administering local anesthesia. During a simple dental extraction procedure, the dentist will use a hand-held device to loosen the tooth from the jaw. Next, the dentist will use forceps to pull the tooth out of the jaw.
Taking Care of the Site of Extraction
After tooth removal, you can expect bleeding and mild pain once the anesthesia wears off. At our clinic, the dentist will give you some tips to take care of the socket and prevent further complications. Below are some of the aftercare tips:
- Bite down a gauze pad or tea bag to prevent excessive blood loss
- Avoid rinsing your mouth for the first 24 hours to facilitate blood clotting
- Do not use straws to suck on fluids to prevent dislodging the blood clot
- After 24 hours, rinse your mouth using warm saline water to reduce the risk of developing infections at the site of extraction
- Avoid smoking and alcohol use since they inhibit recovery
- Don’t eat crunchy foods since they can irritate the site of extraction
- Eat soft foods and graduate to crunchy ones as you heal
During the recovery period, you should maintain good oral hygiene. Therefore, you can brush and floss your teeth gently without irritating the gum socket. In the initial days, you can use antiseptic mouth rinses.
At Family Dental Care in Evergreen Park, we recommend you contact the dentist if you experience any complications.
