Essential Information You Must Have about Tooth Extraction Procedures
Have you been recommended tooth extraction to remove an extensively damaged tooth either from injury or tooth decay? You may be in the dark about the tooth extraction procedure and seek information about what you can expect when you visit Gilbert dental to have the tooth extracted.
Tooth extractions & wisdom tooth removal are routinely performed by dentists and oral surgeons for various reasons. You may have a painful wisdom tooth or a tooth extensively damaged by decay. In some cases, dentists remove a tooth to make space for dental prosthetics or braces.
If the issue concerning you is a painful wisdom tooth, it is removed by an oral surgeon and not a dentist. The third molars are often challenging to remove when they are impacted and remain below the gum line.
This article describes different types of tooth extractions and why you may need them. Also described is how to prepare and what to expect after tooth removal.
Tooth Extraction — What Is It?
The removal of a tooth from your jaw is known as tooth extraction. Various reasons exist for dentists and oral surgeons to recommend tooth removal. They are dental cavities and infections, gum disease, wisdom teeth complications, preparing for dental braces if your teeth are overcrowded, and baby teeth not falling out in time.
What Types of Procedures Are Performed by Dentists for Tooth Removal?
The precise technique used by dental professionals for tooth removal depends on the shape, size, location, and position of the tooth in the mouth. Dental surgeons either classify extractions as surgical or straightforward. Straightforward extractions are performed on visible teeth above the gums that dentists remove in one piece.
Surgical extractions are complicated because it entails the removal of gum tissue, bone, or both. The dental surgeon may remove the tooth in pieces. Wisdom teeth emerge between 17 to 21 and are the last teeth to erupt. Most often, they are impacted, and the first to undergo the removal process. Many people have impacted wisdom teeth because of insufficient room in their mouths. Wisdom teeth extraction is a standard procedure in oral surgery.
How to Prepare for Tooth Extraction?
You will consult with your dentist or oral surgeon about the procedure before it is scheduled. Your medical history is requested by the dental professional, besides information about any medications you take during the consultation.
You are requested not to take some medicines in the days leading to the procedure, depending on the complexity of the tooth extraction. You may receive antibiotics before the procedure to prevent infections.
Numbing Medications During Tooth Extraction
You receive local anesthesia close to the site of the tooth removal. The anesthesia will numb the area to ensure you don’t feel any pain. The numbness continues for a few hours after the surgery. If you are incredibly anxious about the tooth extraction process, you can request additional sedatives to minimize anxiety. The dentist or oral surgeon provide nitrous oxide, oral sedatives, intravenous anesthesia, or general anesthesia.
The Procedure for Tooth Extraction
Your dentist or oral surgeon x-rays your tooth before beginning the removal process. The imaging helps the professionals to evaluate the angle and curvature of the tooth’s root. The tooth removal starts only after the local anesthesia and entirely numbed the area.
You will not feel any pain during the tooth removal but will experience some pressure against the tooth. You may hear grinding and cracking of the bone or teeth and feel the experience is distressing.
Caring For Your Mouth after Tooth Extraction
Following the tooth extraction procedure, the dentist or oral surgeon places a thick layer of gauze on the extraction site asking you to bite down on it firmly. The gauze helps to control bleeding. Retaining the gauze on the extraction site for 20 to 30 minutes is recommended. You are advised to change the pad whenever it is soaked in blood. You may experience bleeding for a couple of days after tooth removal.
Managing Pain and Swelling
The anesthesia administered will not last forever, and dentists recommend pain-relieving medications to alleviate any discomfort you experience. Over-the-counter pain relievers are sufficient to manage pain after tooth removal.
You may experience swelling in your cheeks after the procedure. The swelling is normal and is comfortable to manage using ice packs on the face.
Having an infected or damaged tooth removed shouldn’t encourage you to visit teeth whitening Gilbert immediately after the removal. You must avoid disturbing the extraction site because it may dislodge the blood clot resulting in a dry socket.
You can recover from the tooth extraction procedure in about seven to ten days, after which you can begin searching for replacement options to ensure your remaining teeth do not move towards the blank space left by the extracted tooth.