Tooth Extractions

Cost Effective Surgical Tooth Extraction and Aftercare Tips!

Tooth Extraction! It’s very painful to hear right… But in some cases, extraction is necessary to restore your beautiful smile and to correct any problems in your mouth or teeth structure.

Creating a healthy and beautiful smile through dental treatments very frequently requires certain teeth to be extracted. Tooth extractions have become one of the common dental procedures in dentistry. Dental extractions serve as some sort of solution to many dental issues. It is always the only option which is performed as a last resort. Hence it is essential to know why it is considered as extremely important procedure in general dental treatment.

What is tooth extraction?

Tooth extraction is most beneficial and simplest method for getting relief from untreatable toothache. A tooth extraction involves removal of the tooth as the name itself suggests. If your tooth is seriously infected and pulp has died then tooth extraction becomes necessary and removal is the only option. With regards of your tooth condition, dentist performs either simple or more complex extraction.

Why tooth extraction is necessary?

Tooth extraction is a removal of tooth from its bone socket in the mouth. The dentist always tries to save the tooth but could not be in a condition where a tooth is extracted.

Although permanent teeth are meant to last a lifetime, there are X number of reasons why your tooth may need to be extracted. Some of the very common reasons for tooth extraction include:

• A crowded mouth: Dentists sometimes pull the teeth to prepare the mouth for orthodontia. The aim of orthodontia is aligning the teeth properly, which cannot be possible when your teeth are too big for your mouth. Similarly, if a tooth may not break through the gum as there is no enough space in the mouth for it, then your dentist may recommend pulling it.
• Severe Gum Disease: Gum or periodontal disease caused by plaque or bacterial build up on your teeth and damage to the bone which holds them in place. Hence, the teeth become loose and need to be extracted professionally.
• Wisdom Teeth: Third molars called wisdom teeth often removed either before or after they come in. Wisdom teeth usually come in early 20s or late teens. They have to be removed if they are damaged or decayed, cause pain or infected or have a cyst. This may irritate the gum resulting swelling and pain. In this case, those teeth must be extracted and if you want, all the four wisdom teeth are generally removed at a time.
• People who receive radiation to neck or head may need to get the teeth in the field of radiation removed. People taking cancer drugs can develop infected teeth as these drugs weaken the immune system and the infected teeth have to be extracted.
• Infection: If tooth damage or decay extends to the pulp-center of tooth comprised of blood vessels and nerves. Bacteria enter into the pulp thus causing infection. If the infection is severe, tooth extraction is required to prevent further spread of infection.
• Risk of Infection: Some teeth are needed to be extracted when they could become the main source of infection after getting an organ transplant. People undergone organ transplant have a risk of developing infection since they must take drugs that suppress or decrease immune system.
• Teeth that are not suitable for root canal treatment, severely damaged or decayed, broken or cracked and having advanced gum diseases may need to be extracted.
• Non-functional teeth means teeth providing minimal benefit but puts the person at substantial risk for developing various dental problems are to be extracted. Impacted or non-functional or mal-positioned teeth make them common candidates for tooth extraction.
• Orthodontic Reasons: When orthodontic treatment is done, the dentist sometimes may be limited by amount of jaw space or length to work with. If so, certain strategically located teeth are required to be sacrificed.
• For teeth that are fractured and cannot be restored endodontically, extraction is the only option. Tooth extraction is a common practice to extract front teeth of institutionalized psychiatric patients having history of biting.

After care once tooth extraction is done:

What to expect after surgery? Extra care is needed for speedy recovery. Following are some important measures to be taken after surgery once you are home.

• Take painkillers as prescribed by your oral surgeon.
• Rinse your mouth gently using salt water after 24 hours to relieve pain and reduce swelling.
• Consume only soft foods like pudding, gelatin or thin soup.
• Change gauze pads before they are filled with blood.
• Avoid smoking, rubbing the area with tongue.

Are there any risks after tooth extraction?

Complications involved after getting tooth extraction are:

• Antibiotics that are prescribed after surgery may leave side-effects like drowsiness, nausea, vomiting.
• Numbness and burning sensation may occur if the nerve is damaged during the procedure.
• Bleeding into cheeks after extraction results in feeling hard to open mouth and bruising in that particular area.
• Osteonecrosis is mostly experienced by cancer patients when they get extraction. In this condition gums get worn away and the bone underlying is invisible.
• Teeth gets infected because of the foreign body inserted in the tooth socket while extraction.

Your smile is important!

Our dentists and hygienists can help keep it healthy. Your smile reflects who you are and how you take care of yourself. In fact, your dental health is a major factor in your overall well being. We understand this and tailor our services to your specific needs.