Tooth Extraction Although Unpleasant Is Beneficial If Recommended by Your Dentist

The removal of any part of your body is never pleasant. Matters gain more significance when your dentist recommends dental extractions because you instantly worry about your smile and how it hinders your everyday activities. Perhaps the only occasion when you consent to have a tooth extracted if your third molars haven’t emerged properly and are considered impacted teeth. You wouldn’t mind having them removed because they are at the back of your mouth and are rarely visible.

Tooth extractions are standard for many people affected by a tooth infection, gum disease, and crowding. People undergoing chemotherapy or considering organ transplants also need to have any compromised teeth removed to keep their mouth healthy.

The tooth extraction procedure, although unpleasant, is performed by the dentist in Phoenix, AZ, or oral surgeons in a quick outpatient procedure where you receive local, general, or intravenous anesthesia to ensure you are entirely comfortable during the removal. Visible teeth are removed in a simple procedure while impacted or broken teeth below the gum line’s surface require involve a complex process.

The Tooth Extraction Procedure

If your dentist has recommended extraction of a visible tooth, you require a simple extraction.

When you visit the dentist for your appointment, you receive local anesthesia to numb the area around the tooth. You will likely feel some pressure during the removal without any pain. Dentists use instruments called elevators to loosen the visible tooth before removing it with forceps.

If you are having an impacted tooth removed, you receive a combination of anesthesia for anxiety and pain management. If you have any medical conditions, you may receive general anesthesia rendering you unconscious during the removal.

The dentist or oral surgeon makes tiny incisions in your gum to remove any bone surrounding the tooth. The impacted tooth is cut in pieces before extraction if it is challenging to remove.

Aren’t There Any Risks of Tooth Extractions?

Every surgical procedure has a set of risks associated with it, and tooth extractions are no different. However, if your dentist recommends the removal, rest assured the benefits of adhering to the advice outweigh the risks.

Generally following a tooth extraction, the formation of a blood clot in the extraction site is familiar. However, if the blood clot fails to form or dislodges, it exposes the bone inside the socket to cause a dry socket. If you experience a dry socket, your dentist protects the extraction site by putting a sedative dressing over it for a few days.

Other risks associated with tooth removal include:

You may experience bleeding lasting for over 12 hours. If you have severe fever and chills, it could indicate an infection. You may also experience nausea and vomiting, coughing, swelling and redness at the extraction site, chest pain, and shortness of breath. In such cases, you must contact your dentist for assistance.

How Much Time Do You Need to Recover from Tooth Extraction?

You require a few days to recover from a tooth extraction. You can use the tips mentioned below to speed your recovery smoothly.

• Following the tooth extraction procedure, use an ice pack on your cheeks to reduce swelling. The ice pack can remain on your cheek for 10-minute intervals.
• Immediately after extracting your tooth, the dentist places gauze over the extraction site, asking you to bite down on it to release bleeding and help in clot formation. Leave the gauze in the extraction site for three to four hours until it is soaked in blood.
• Dentists recommend painkillers to help you overcome any discomfort you experience. Take the medications as prescribed.
• Use the initial 24 hours after tooth removal to rest without jumping into your routine the following day.
• Do not use a straw during the initial 24 hours, and avoid smoking because it can hamper the healing process.
• Do not consider rinsing for the first 24 hours or spitting vigorously.
• Brush and floss your teeth as you usually do without getting near the extraction site.

After tooth removal, you must keep yourself nourished and do not have to avoid eating. However, you must have soft foods like yogurt, pudding, and applesauce. Having hard foods can dislodge the blood clot, making it necessary to contact the emergency dentist Phoenix for treatment. You can introduce your everyday foods into your diet as you improve over the next few days.

Tooth extractions become necessary for many reasons, as mentioned earlier. However, the procedure is not fearsome and is familiar among many people, including adults worldwide.