Do you think you may need a tooth pulled, but aren’t sure if that’s the right choice? There are many signs that you might need a dental extraction. Some include the following: severe pain in your teeth or gums, serious dental crowding, or extensive tooth decay.
Teeth are most often removed because of some irreparable trauma, they have irreversible decay, or they’re overcrowded and needing more space due to braces or other alignment issues.
Tooth extractions are performed by a dentist or an oral surgeon. It is an outpatient procedure that doesn’t usually take up much time. As far as anesthesia goes, there are several options: IV sedation, local anesthetic, and/or general anesthetic. If anesthetic makes you nervous, you can request that you receive the local anesthetic option applied directly to the extraction site.
Having a tooth removed isn’t as frightening as it’s often portrayed to be. The amount of bleeding is often minimal and post extraction recovery is usually quite short. As far as preparation for the removal, they often ask that you don’t consume food 12 to 24 hours before and that you make sure that someone can pick you up, wait onsite while the procedure is being done and drive you home so you make it home safely. These requirements are all dependent on the type of anesthesia being used during your procedure.
After your tooth is removed, it’s important to take care of the extraction site as best you can to avoid risk of infection or dry socket. Dry socket or alveolar osteitis is when a blood clot has formed at the location where the removed tooth previously resided. This can expose your jaw bone and other sensitive nerves. If you experience serious pain after 2 to 3 days post extraction, call your dentist and ask about other dry socket stating you are experiencing some of the symptoms.
If you want to hear more about tooth extractions or if you are wondering if having an extraction could help improve your oral health, give TriState Dental Care a call and learn about all the ways in which we can help you!