What Do You Do When Recommended Tooth Extractions?
There may come a time when you visit your dentist with a badly damaged tooth because of decay and hear the dental professional recommend tooth extraction of a permanent tooth. Your first reaction would be to ignore the advice fearing the significant expenditure you will face for tooth replacement solutions. You may believe the tooth will heal itself from the damages and may not need extraction.
Teeth are not capable of healing themselves unless assisted by a dentist. Whether the damage was due to an injury or an infection, the dentist would have recommended the extraction in your best interests. Both situations calling for the extraction can aggravate themselves to affect your overall health unless you act promptly. The better option for you would be to adhere to the dentist’s advice and undergo the tooth extractions procedure.
Why Do Dentists Recommend Tooth Extractions?
Dentists and oral surgeons recommend tooth extractions for various reasons. They could be confronted with a painful tooth issue as you have been damaged by infection or injury. You may need wisdom tooth extraction or extractions to make space in your mouth for orthodontic treatments. Oral surgeons perform a wisdom tooth extraction because of the complicated nature of the process. Dentists recommend tooth extractions only after determining the tooth can cause more harm than good in your mouth and is better extracted to maintain your oral and overall health.
What Does Tooth Extraction Involve?
Tooth extractions involved the removal of a tooth.
Teeth may be extracted for various reasons, including dental cavities, gum disease, infections, wisdom teeth complications, preparing for dental prosthesis, orthodontic treatments, and baby teeth not falling out in time.
The type of tooth extraction will depend on the tooth’s shape, position, size, and location. Tooth extractions are generally classified as surgical or straight forward. A tooth that is visible over the gum line is extracted in a simple procedure. Surgical procedures are complicated and involve the removal of the gum tissue and bone, or both. The dental surgeon may need to remove the tooth in pieces.
How Do You Prepare for Tooth Extraction?
If you are recommended tooth extraction, you must discuss the issue with the dentist in Providence, RI, to understand whether you are undergoing an infected tooth extraction or a decayed tooth extraction. If the tooth is visible over your gum line, you can expect the extraction to be performed in a simple process.
The dentist will inquire about your entire medical history and about medications you are currently taking. You may need to stop taking some medicines before the extraction, depending on the procedure you are undergoing. In some cases, dentists prescribe antibiotics before tooth extractions. The antibiotics are prescribed to prevent infections and must be taken as advised by the dentist or oral surgeon.
The Tooth Extraction Procedure
As mentioned earlier, tooth extractions are either straight forward or surgical. Before beginning the process of tooth extraction in Providence, RI will take an x-ray of the tooth to help them evaluate the curvature and angle of the tooth’s root.
The dentists or oral surgeon will begin the extraction after anesthesia has numbed the patient. You will feel some pressure on your teeth but no pain because the anesthetic administered would have taken effect to numb you throughout the procedure. After the extraction, sutures, or any additional procedures to control bleeding may be necessary. A thick layer of gauze is placed by the dentists or oral surgeon over the extraction site, and the patient is asked to bite on it to start the clotting process.
After-care Following Tooth Extraction
Controlling pain after tooth extraction will be your first concern, which the dentist would have addressed by advising you to take over-the-counter or prescription painkillers. You can control any swelling you experience by applying an ice pack directly to the face. You must take care not to dislodge the blood clot and bite down on the layer of gauze with consistent and firm pressure. You may experience bleeding for a couple of days after the procedure.
Dentists recommend that you have plenty of fluids and soft and nutritious foods after tooth extraction. You can continue brushing and flossing without disturbing the extraction site and begin rinsing your mouth with warm salt water every few hours from the day after the procedure.
Tooth extractions are only recommended by dentists when you have an infected or damaged tooth that cannot be preserved without harming your oral health. Ignoring the situation is an option available with you, but it would be better to undergo the procedure if you want to keep your oral and overall health in excellent condition.