Most of the time, dentists resort to a teeth extraction procedure when other methods of saving a patient’s tooth are no longer possible. For instance, if a patient came in to Afdent with a decayed or severely infected tooth that can no longer be fixed with a filling, your dentist would need to extract it. Other scenarios where dentists bring up teeth extractions include:
- There is no space in the mouth for wisdom teeth to grow
- Impacted wisdom teeth
- Baby teeth are still intact and are blocking permanent teeth from growing
- There is not enough space to allow for orthodontic treatments like braces
Two Kinds of Tooth Extractions
Although the thought of teeth extractions can be overwhelming, especially for children, this procedure is crucial to alleviate one’s pain and prevent further dental complications. There are two main kinds of teeth extractions-simple and complex.
Simple extractions are for basic dental problems, such as the typical tooth decay and removal of baby teeth that are blocking permanent ones from growing, which is performed by your dentist. Meanwhile, complex extractions require a more complicated procedure involving gum incisions or even removing some bones around the tooth.
The Preparation
Before the procedure, your Afdent dentist will first examine the patient’s dental and overall medical history. They will take a full mouth x-ray and see if there are impacted teeth that need to be removed. This step goes for both simple and complex extractions.
The Process
With simple extractions, your dentist will numb the area with a local anesthetic, loosen the tooth with a dental tool called an elevator, and pluck it using forceps. Regardless of the number of teeth and their condition, this procedure won’t take long.
With complex extractions it is necessary to make an incision into the connective tissue surrounding the tooth to gain access to it for extraction. For example, the soft tissues that cover the tooth may be elevated, or a drill or osteotome may be needed to remove some of the nearby jawbone during the extraction procedure. Patients are given a local anesthetic and often choose conscious sedation, which is a combination of medicines to help you relax (a sedative) and to block pain (an anesthetic) during a dental procedure.
The Healing Period
Simple extractions take about a week to heal fully. Meanwhile, complex ones may last for more than a week, especially if the patient’s dental health has been pretty severe. What’s important is to follow your dentist’s advice on what to avoid during the healing period for faster recovery.
Major don’ts include spitting, sipping with straws, smoking, bending, and lifting heavy objects within the first 48 hours. Doing these things can induce a dry socket.
Turn to a Medical Professional
If you’re dealing with any pain or discomfort with your teeth, don’t hesitate to have it checked by a dental professional. They may have a recommendation on pain relief medications that could help ease your pain. Such medications that could be offered are medical marijuana for example, however, if you do get this prescribed for the pain you may need to find a secure way of getting a cannabis delivery to your door. Other types of pain relief may also be useful in helping you manage any excess pain.
At Afdent Patient Friendly Dentistry, we have experienced dentists who can handle simple to complex tooth extractions. For more inquiries, you may visit us or give us a call to set your appointment.