Teeth Extractions
Compassionate Dental Care
It’s sometimes necessary to remove a tooth from your mouth. Whether it’s been badly damaged as the result of an injury or it’s beyond repair, extraction is sometimes the best option. The concept of removing a tooth from your mouth might intimidate you and make you worry, but sometimes it is safer for your overall oral health to remove a dead, useless tooth from your mouth than to leave it in place.
Common Reasons for Extraction
No two people need the same work done in their mouth, but there are a few common reasons most people need to go through with tooth extractions. If your dentist recommends tha you have a tooth pulled out of your mouth, it’s probably for one of these reasons. And, at Wilson Dental, we like to keep the process as streamlined and simple as possible.
01
Severe decay that’s too expensive or impossible to repair
02
Infection bad enough the tooth cannot be fixed
03
Gum disease in a tooth that’s become advanced is a health risk. It can easily affect the tissue around the tooth so that the infection spreads and puts your overall health at risk
04
It’s blocking other teeth from properly coming in
05
Wisdom teeth (they often crowd other teeth and cause additional oral healthcare issues)
What to Expect at your Appointment
With any major oral health concern, your dentist will first apply a numbing agent to the area. You do not want to feel your tooth being extracted from your mouth, but your dentist will not put you under general anesthesia. There are some instances in which anesthesia might be a method your dentist recommends, but most extractions only use a numbing agent in the area where the extraction will occur.
Contact the dental professionals at Wilson Dental today to schedule your extraction appointment. You might not even know you need an extraction at this point, but our team of dental professionals can help you determine what your dental needs with a simple consultation.
During extraction
The numbing agent your dentist applies makes it possible to avoid feeling the pain of the extraction. The tooth is pulled using specialized dental instruments designed for this job, and you might feel nothing more than a slight pull or tugging motion. It takes only a few minutes to extract a tooth, and you will be more than comfortable during the entire process.
After extraction
Once the extraction is over, your dentist will apply gauze to the inside of your mouth to stop any bleeding that may occur. The bleeding is of no concern, and it might occur off and on for a day or two. Your job is to take note of the instructions your dentist leaves you with to care for your tooth. This involves changing the gauze, avoiding certain foods, and not chewing on the side of the mouth where your tooth was extracted.
Recovery
The recovery timeline for an extraction is approximately two weeks. Swelling commonly subsides within two to three days of having the tooth removed. Your dentist will remove your stitches after a week or so if any remain, and it takes up to 10 days for the soreness and stiff feeling in your jaw to subside. It could take up to two weeks for any bruising on the face to heal. Let it be noted that not all people who go through a tooth extraction have any bruising on their cheeks if they follow the after care instructions their dentist gives them.