Extractions
Extractions
A standard dental extraction involves the removal of one or more teeth from the mouth. This can either be done simply or through surgical means, but the end result will leave the patient without the tooth. A simple procedure usually doesn’t take much planning and can be done with a few instruments – such as a dental elevator and clamps.
Reasons To Extract A Tooth
- Traumatic Damage - Your teeth may become injured in a traumatic accident such as a car collision, a fall, or a blow to the face.
- Overcrowding - Overcrowding occurs when your teeth are too big to fit correctly into your mouth. It causes your teeth to become crooked, which can be treated with orthodontia. In order for orthodontia to be effective, however, there needs to be room in your mouth for your teeth to move.
- Impaction - A tooth is impacted when it is prevented from growing up out of the gums into its intended position. Either the gums fail to erupt completely and allow the tooth to emerge or something is blocking the tooth and preventing it from growing in as it is supposed to.
- Periodontal Disease - A severe periodontal infection can affect both your gums and alveolus which can cause your teeth to become loose and may require extraction.
After an extraction
What takes place after the extraction is just as important as the actual procedure itself. After controlling any bleeding, the dentist will more than likely fill the open socket with bone grafting material before suturing the gum closed. Because bone loss is likely to occur after a tooth extraction, a bone graft will encourage new growth and minimize any potential loss. This is extremely important if the patient eventually plans to replace the extracted tooth with a dental implant (which requires bone to support it) or to maintain bone health during orthodontic treatment.
The dentist will give you care instructions for keeping the site cleaned and maintained until the soft tissue heals. He or she may also prescribe anti-inflammatory drugs to relieve minor pain, which should subside in a few days.
Treatment options after loss of teeth
Missing teeth can lead to further dental problems and people with missing teeth might have problems speaking clearly or even eating comfortably. Missing teeth can affect the bite of your remaining teeth. This is a result of the remaining teeth leaning over into the gaps. The empty spaces in your mouth can trap food particles in them, increasing the risk of tooth decay and worse, gum disease. Take a look at the options we have at High Street Dental practice in Burntwood.
- Dental Implants - can restore your smile and give you your full biting capabilities back
- Dental Bridge - is when you have three of more crowns connected to each other.
- Temporary, partial or full dentures - with choices in flexible and acrylic dentures.
Frequently Asked Questions
Tooth extraction is common procedure performed and generally safe. However, in order to make an informed decision and give your consent, you need to be aware of the possible side-effects and the risk of complications.
You may incur some swelling and discomfort for a few days after the procedure, you can take over the counter pain relief to ease the tension.
The procedure itself can be completed in anything from 5 minutes in simple cases to 45 minutes for more complex cases. Our surgeon will provide an estimate for the length of your procedure before you start the treatment.
Avoid hot food for the first 24 hours and refrain from smoking and alcohol. We also advise to rinse your mouth out with warm salty water
Before any tooth extraction, the dentist normally numbs your teeth – meaning you should not feel any pain.
Full recovery normally takes a couple of days. We can aid this process by using growth factors in the gap left behind by your tooth during the extraction process.
- Take any pain relief medication that your dentist has recommended or prescribed
- Bite down firmly on the gauze pad to help a blood clot form in the socket and reduce bleeding. If the gauze becomes soaked through with blood, change it for a clean one and leave it in place for up to 3 hours.
- Apply an ice pack to the affected area right away to keep any swelling down and keep it in place for 10 minutes at a time.
- Refrain from rinsing or spitting with force for 24 hours after the extraction, which can dislodge any blood clot that has formed in the socket.
- Rest for at least 24 hours afterwards, and avoid any strenuous activity for the next few days.
- Do not smoke and avoid drinking through a straw, as this can impact healing.
- Rinse your mouth with a mouthwash or warm salt water after 24 hours.
- Eat a diet of soft foods such as soup, yoghurt, and scrambled eggs the day after the extraction. You can introduce more solid foods as the extraction site continues to heal.
- Laying flat can prolong any bleeding so try to keep your head propped up when lying down.
It’s normal to feel some discomfort and mild pain as the anaesthetic wears off but, if you have severe pain or bleeding more than 4 hours after your tooth has been pulled, then call your dentist for further advice.