Tooth Extraction
At Amherst Village Dental our team wants our patients to keep their natural permanent teeth for as long as possible. However, there are circumstances where teeth must be extracted for the overall health of the patient. Our professionals will consider tooth extractions as the last viable option, but our professionals will not hesitate to tell our patients when tooth extraction is the best, if not only, solution to an oral care problem.
Reasons Why Teeth Are Extracted
Bad oral health is frequently the cause of loss of teeth. Our team may remove teeth that have become too damaged to save due to extreme tooth decay. Tooth extraction is also an option to prevent periodontitis when teeth have excessive amounts of plaque. Extracting wisdom teeth that may cause oral health issues is a common practice. Wisdom teeth are removed when they have erupted in a way that is detrimental to the patient’s mouth. Additionally, a wisdom tooth may not have fully erupted or not erupted at all. Sometimes, teeth must be removed in preparation for an orthodontic procedure to prevent or reduce the amount of tooth crowding. And it’s common to have a baby tooth extracted so the underlying permanent tooth can emerge. Finally, severe oral injuries that render a tooth unsalvageable would require a tooth extraction.
Removal
Tooth extraction does not have to be painful. Our professionals inject local anesthesia which numbs the region. Removing the tooth itself is a gentle process of shaking it back and forth to loosen it until it is easily removed. The procedure is more involved for an impacted tooth. An incision is made to expose the tooth as much as possible and it is either removed all at once or in multiple steps.
Recovering
The main goal of the recovery period is to ensure that the blood clot that formed in the tooth’s socket does not get agitated or dislodged. The extraction site is so prone to damage that even a minor act such as drinking from a straw could cause the blood clot to come loose and trigger bleeding. Patients are advised to refrain from brushing or flossing for 24 hours after an extraction. Because patients will need time for their mouths to heal, our professionals advise our patients to rest for at least two days after a tooth extraction. For 10-minute intervals, patients should apply ice as required to minimize swelling, and patients can take over-the-counter anti-inflammatories as needed to reduce discomfort. Patients should consume foods that do not require chewing, such as mashed potatoes and soup, for the first 24 hours. Patients can try soft but chewable foods such as cooked pasta after the first day. Patients can resume their normal diets in approximately a week.
Contact Us If You Have Any Problems With Your Teeth
When you experience pain or harm in your mouth, our team at Amherst Village Dental is prepared to set up a treatment plan for your oral health. You can contact our office by calling our team at 603-769-8985 to schedule an appointment.