Tooth Extractions: What You Need to Know

Tooth Extractions: What You Need to Know

Nov 01, 2021

Removing a tooth can be quite a frightening experience, especially if you don’t know anything about it. However, tooth extraction in Oakland, CA, is a standard dental procedure. Let’s take a quick look at the steps and what happens when you need a tooth extraction.

When Do You Need an Extraction?

Fortunately, not every dental problem will require an extraction. In most cases, a dentist near you would be able to fix your dental problem without any replacement therapy. However, special cases do require removing the tooth, such as:

  1. Total decay or infection of your teeth
  2. Dental trauma
  3. Broken teeth
  4. Inadequate space for new teeth to grow
  5. Baby teeth not falling out
  6. Wisdom teeth removal
  7. Orthodontic treatment

How to Prepare for Extraction

Before removing your teeth, your dentist in Oakland will check your dental and medical history. Additionally, an x-ray will be performed as it helps in understanding the structure of your teeth. X-rays reveal any malformations, the bone structure, and the position of other teeth surrounding the tooth to be extracted.

Any dentist office near you will use an anesthetic for your teeth extraction. An anesthetic helps to numb the area. If a more complicated operation is needed, your dentist or surgeon might also use full sedation. For a normal tooth removal procedure, you can drive home the same day.

How Does Tooth Extraction Work?

There are generally two types of tooth extraction that you might be aware of: a simple extraction and a surgical extraction. For the simple extraction, your dentist will use a numbing agent on the surrounding area and then loosen the tooth.

For a surgical extraction, the dentist will numb the whole jaw and then cut into your gum to remove the buried teeth. While oral surgeons usually perform surgical extractions, even general dentists can perform simple extractions.

Under special circumstances, your dentist might also need to make sure there are no blood thinners in your system. This is so they can control bleeding at the extraction site. Generally, your dentist will try the following methods to ensure that a patient doesn’t bleed too much:

  • Using topical medications or clotting agents
  • Using dissolvable gauze or foam on the tooth extraction site
  • Stitching up the tooth extraction site

Whatever the method, your dentist will make sure that you feel no pain during the procedure. So, if you’re afraid of getting your teeth removed due to pain, speak to your dentist.

Aftercare

While tooth extraction is not a lengthy procedure, you need to be careful about aftercare. Your dentist will suggest what you need to do and your food intake after your tooth extraction.

Ensure that the area of your extraction is clean as it will prevent infection. After the extraction, your dentist may ask you to gently bite down on a piece of gauze to help stop the bleeding and clot the extraction site.

Following an extraction, there might be slight pain or discomfort. Your dentist might recommend a pain killer depending on your pain threshold and how the procedure goes. If you have any swelling in your cheek, applying an ice pack might help. However, please consult your dentist if your pain or swelling persists after three days.

Generally, if you are not having wisdom teeth removed, you won’t need to worry about pain or swelling. However, each person’s pain threshold is different, so speak to your dentist before and after the procedure if you have pain sensitivity.

Your dentist might also suggest antibiotics to ensure that you don’t suffer from any infection after your extraction. In most cases, antibiotics are suggested if

  • You have an infection during surgery
  • Your immune system is weak
  • Patients have a specific medical condition that makes them weak
  • You have a long surgery ahead

Whatever the reason, visiting a dentist is the first step towards determining if you need a tooth extraction or not. At Franklin Dental Care, we are here to help you with your oral problems. Our friendly team will listen to you and provide you with the best care for your dental problem. Contact us today for a consultation.

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