Tooth Extractions: What to Expect
While the prospect may be daunting, a tooth extraction is a straightforward routine procedure with a low risk of long-term complications. If performed by an experienced dentist or surgeon, the process and the recovery are usually simple.
Causes for Tooth Extraction
While it is ideal in most cases to preserve your natural tooth, in some cases your dentist will recommend extracting one or more teeth to protect your overall health and well-being. There are a variety of reasons a tooth may need to be removed. One of the most common extractions is wisdom teeth. Removal of wisdom teeth can prevent crowding and may also be more prone to causing inflammation or infection if they do not fully emerge. A dentist may also recommend extraction for impacted teeth, malfunctioning teeth or teeth that are hard to clean or if they have severe gum disease or if they are causing damage/decay to the adjacent teeth.
Procedure
Most tooth extractions are uneventful procedures that take almost no time at all. your dentist will take x-rays of your teeth. The area around the tooth being extracted will be numbed, and oral sedation medication may be administered to help reduce anxiety during the procedure. You will feel some pressure during the extraction but shouldn’t have any pain. Our experienced dentists will thoroughly clean the socket to remove any remaining infected tissue and if recommended perform socket preservation by placing bone graft material and a protective membrane to help preserve your bone level and prevent the incidence of a painful dry socket. If you have had dry sockets in the past, please bring it to the attention of our experienced team and they will discuss ways to minimize/prevent its occurrence. Depending on every individual, antibiotics may or may not be prescribed. Also appropriate pain medications will be prescribed or recommended.
