Relieve Pain & Keep Smiles Healthy
Reasons for Tooth Extraction
Repairing damaged or decayed teeth is always the ideal option, but there are cases where removing these teeth is best for your overall oral health. Some of the reasons that teeth are commonly extracted include:
- Severe damage or decay that destroys too much dental structure to support a restoration
- Primary teeth that don’t fall out on their own
- Impacted teeth – those that are unable to properly erupt from the gum line
- Wisdom teeth, third molars, are often extracted due to lack of space for these teeth within the smile
- As preparation for orthodontic treatment or the placement of dentures, one or more teeth may be removed
How Teeth are Removed
We typically extract teeth in one of two ways. The first is pulling. When teeth are fully emerged from the gum line, we use a clasping tool to shift it back and forth until the tooth breaks away from the supporting structures. If a tooth is unable to fully erupt or doesn’t break free through pulling, a surgical extraction may be necessary. These treatments are customized to the individual patients, and the process can be as simple as making a small incision in the gum tissue to reveal the tooth. In some cases, we’ll need to drill into bone structure or break the tooth into smaller pieces to allow for easier removal.
Caring for Your Smile After Tooth Extraction
Following the tooth extraction, we’ll provide you with specific at-home care instructions to help you make a full recovery with minimal discomfort. If your tooth needs to be replaced, we’ll begin this treatment process as soon as possible. During the first 48 hours after your tooth removal procedure, you should take care to avoid irritating the extraction site. Use clean gauze to cover the socket and replace the gauze anytime it becomes saturated. You should also use ice packs at 20-minute intervals to reduce swelling and relieve pain. Consume only liquids for the first day after treatment and introduce soft foods and those that are more difficult to chew gradually as you feel comfortable. If you notice pain or sensitivity at the extraction site or you experience increased discomfort rather than diminished pain, call our team right away.
Tooth Extraction FAQs
Getting a tooth extracted is not ideal, but you can rest knowing that the team of Bal Dental Centre is prepared to answer all your questions and help you feel confident ahead of your procedure. Feel free to review our most frequently asked questions below. You just may find the answer you’re looking for prior to your appointment. If you have other questions that are not mentioned, please let us know and we’ll do everything we can to help you get comfortable.
Does Getting a Tooth Extracted Hurt?
Many patients are hesitant to complete dental treatments (regardless of what they may be intended for) because they fear they will cause discomfort. That’s why we always administer a local anesthetic to your mouth before performing treatment. This ensures that whether you’re having one tooth pulled or multiple, you can expect the process to be as comfortable as possible. Following your procedure, you can expect some minor soreness to be present. Pay close attention to your aftercare steps to prevent infection, promote healing, and reduce swelling. If you notice your discomfort getting worse or develop a fever, call us immediately.
When teeth towards the back of the mouth are being pulled, you may think you won’t need to replace them. However, this is actually not the case. Even though it’s not visible in your smile, your missing back tooth is essential to chewing properly and enunciating certain words clearly. A single missing tooth, especially a molar or premolar, can lead to poor nutrition and indigestion. Neighboring teeth can also begin to shift out of place, making your bite uneven. For these reasons and more, we recommend scheduling a follow-up appointment to discuss your tooth replacement options.
Tobacco products like cigarettes, cigars, hookah, chewing tobacco, and even vaporizers can delay the healing of your extraction site. You should avoid using these products entirely for at least five days after your treatment. Ideally, you should avoid them for about two weeks. However, it’s a much better idea to quit tobacco entirely, especially if it led to your tooth being so damaged it required extraction. If you are struggling to quit on your own, please let us know so we can discuss options to make it easier. After all, our goal is to help you get healthy, not pass judgement.
To prepare for your tooth extraction, be sure to ask our team any questions you may have. Not only can we provide an answer, but we can offer more specific recommendations on how to best plan for your treatment. This includes what items could be useful to have on hand, how to dress comfortably, and what you should eat (or avoid eating) the day of the procedure. We may recommend sticking to water or picking up medications in advance that are designed to help you heal. If you plan to receive sedation, you’ll need to have a friend or family member drive you to and from the practice.
