You may feel nervous after hearing that you need to undergo a tooth extraction. Continue reading to learn more about the tooth extraction process so you can prepare adequately. Regardless of what you may have read online or heard from people, extracting a tooth is a straightforward procedure. Knowing about the process itself may help ease the anxiety you have.
A filling, crown, or other dental restoration procedure may also restore teeth that have been broken or weakened by decay. However, if the damage is too extensive to be repaired, the dentist may suggest extraction. The following are other common reasons for the procedure:
Before tooth extraction, the dentist will go through the patient's medical and dental history and take the required x-rays. Your dentist will use this knowledge to decide the best way to extract the tooth or whether surgical tooth extraction will be needed.
During a simple extraction, the dentist will use a local anesthetic to numb the region around the tooth before removing it. For a more complicated extraction, known as a surgical extraction, the dental professional can use intravenous (IV) anesthesia, which can be anything from conscious sedation to general anesthesia. In this case, patients need to make arrangements for someone to take them home after the procedure and supervise them until the anesthesia effects have worn off.
A simple extraction is done when the tooth is still visible in the mouth and it is commonly performed by a general dentist. For a simple extraction, the dentist will numb the tooth and gum tissue and loosen the tooth using an elevator before extracting it with dental forceps.
A surgical extraction is a more complex process for removing a tooth that has broken along the gum line or has not yet erupted. Oral surgeons typically perform surgical extractions, but they may also be done by general dentists. For a surgical extraction, the dentist will create a small incision into the gum and extract the tooth.
After tooth extraction, the patient needs to keep the region clean and free of infection. They may be asked to gently bite down on a piece of dry, sterile gauze, which should remain in place for 30 to 45 minutes to prevent bleeding while clotting occurs. The dentist will provide specific aftercare instructions, but for the first 24 hours after the extraction, patients should avoid smoking, rinsing their mouth, or cleaning the teeth near the extraction point.
If you are a tooth extraction patient, the best way to ensure a safe and pain-free operation is to closely follow your dentist's instructions before and after the procedure. To learn more, contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Request an appointment here: https://www.dentistryforwoodstock.com or call Dentistry for Woodstock at (770) 238-1437 for an appointment in our Woodstock office.
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