A tooth extraction may be performed for various reasons; the most common of these include severe tooth decay, gum disease, and oral trauma. When these issues result in irreparable damage, your dentist may need to extract the tooth from your mouth to prevent the progression of the disease. In some cases, these procedures may require emergency dental care as pain may be extreme.
Another common reason for tooth extraction is overcrowding in the mouth. Often, in this case, the extraction is followed up with braces to straighten up the remaining teeth which had previously been squeezed in.
Get in touch with us for professional tooth extraction in Aurora, CO.
What To Expect At Our Dental Clinic for tooth extraction
We are a family dentistry clinic in Aurora CO. When you enter our clinic, you can expect a friendly, welcoming atmosphere for your entire family with quality gentle dental care. We are committed to providing you with the highest quality dentistry with minimal pain, and the latest technology and equipment while making sure you feel comfortable and at home.
The first step is to assess the condition of your tooth through a thorough evaluation, which will often involve the use of X-rays. Based on the result of the assessment, your dentist will determine whether the tooth is salvageable or must be extracted. If it is determined that the tooth is damaged beyond repair, tooth extraction will most likely be recommended.
If the tooth in question is not necessarily damaged but needs to be removed due to overcrowding issues, the evaluation will help determine the strategy for extraction and subsequent orthodontic needs.
Tooth Extraction Process
There are several different types of tooth extraction procedure: for regular teeth that are being extracted due to damage or overcrowding, a standard extraction is usually performed. Sometimes, teeth may be impacted. This means the tooth has not broken through the gumline, in which case surgical extraction is necessary. Wisdom teeth removal often also requires surgical extraction due to their hard-to-reach position and because they are almost always impacted.
In most cases, some kind of anesthetic will be applied for the procedure. Depending on the invasiveness of the extraction, this may be a local anesthetic that is injected to numb the area, an IV drip to sedate you and make you drowsy, and in some cases, a general anesthetic will be applied.
Regular Extraction vs. Surgical Extraction
Removal of a tooth that has broken through the gum line is a relatively simple process. After applying a local anesthetic, the tooth is removed by rocking it back and forth within the socket using specialized dental instruments.
However, if the tooth is impacted and has yet to break through the gum line, a surgical extraction may be necessary. For this procedure, an IV sedation is normally added to the local anesthetic, and in some cases of impacted wisdom teeth, a general anesthetic may be applied. Once the anesthesia has taken affect, your dentist will make a small incision into the gum and bone that covers the tooth. Through the incision, the tooth will be cut into pieces so that it may be removed through the opening. The incision will then be sutured back into place and allowed to heal.
Wisdom Teeth Removal
Appearing long after all other adult teeth have settled into place, there often isn’t adequate space for wisdom teeth to erupt. This can cause all manner of problems, from impacted wisdom teeth that grow in all directions, overcrowding, tooth decay, gum disease, jaw pain, headaches, toothaches, and damage to surrounding teeth.
The solution to most of these problems is wisdom teeth removal. In some cases where the wisdom tooth has broken through the surface, a regular extraction may be performed. However, with the large majority of wisdom teeth being impacted, surgical extraction is normally necessary.
Emergency Tooth Extraction
If you have had oral trauma or are experiencing severe pain, you may require an emergency tooth extraction. Our dental clinic in Aurora CO offers emergency dental care for our patients. If you think you may be experiencing a dental emergency, please contact us immediately at (303) 671-0305.
FAQs about Tooth Extraction
Are tooth extractions painful?
At your Aurora family dentistry clinic, our dentist and all medical staff are dedicated to the practice of gentle dental care. Combined with various forms of anesthesia, most patients report feeling no pain and minimal discomfort during their tooth extraction procedure with us.
That said, depending on the invasiveness of the procedure, you may experience varying degrees of discomfort or pain as your anesthesia wears off. This may feel like a dull ache, mild throbbing, or slight pain to the touch. Be sure to take any prescribed or recommended painkillers as well as any antibiotics to minimize any post-procedure discomfort.
What does tooth extraction aftercare look like?
After your tooth extraction procedure, you will normally be sent home with gauze pads on the socket to control bleeding. Your dentist should provide you with instructions about how long these should be in place and how often they should be changed – usually about 3-4 hours is sufficient to stop the bleeding.
We recommend that you avoid rinsing your mouth, smoking, or drinking through a straw for the first 24 hours as these activities can cause bleeding to continue. If you have been under sedation or general anesthesia, make sure you have someone to drive you home and don’t perform any activities that require high levels of cognitive function for the remainder of the day as these may be impaired.
Be sure to follow any tooth extraction aftercare instructions specifically provided to you by your dentist, and take any medications as directed. Some of these may include consuming only soft foods and gentle mouth rinses after the first 24 hours.
What is the recovery period after tooth extraction?
The recovery period varies from case to case and person to person. For a simple extraction that only required a local anesthetic, some patients may be ready to resume normal activities upon leaving our dental clinic. For any procedure that requires sedation, the patient will need several hours to ensure full recovery from the anesthetic, and for general anesthetic, at least the remainder of the day.
For some more invasive extractions such as impacted wisdom teeth removal, some patients may return to work the following day while other may need a few days off. It can actually take up to two weeks for complete healing to take place, though normal activities are possible while you are still healing. Just remember that everybody is unique, and every tooth extraction is different. Listen to your body and make sure you get adequate rest!
Should I remove all four wisdom teeth at once?
It is perfectly safe to remove all four wisdom teeth at a single appointment on a single day. In fact, many patients prefer this as it saves time and money, and the recovery time and process are very similar whether you remove one or four teeth at once. However, some patients may feel it is too much for them, or a dentist or oral surgeon may have other reasons for recommending that the extractions be performed over multiple appointments.
What are the do’s and don’t’s after tooth extraction?
For the first 24 hours after tooth extraction, avoid any heavy lifting, forceful movements of your head, mouth rinsing, smoking, and forceful spitting. You may try icing your cheek to ease any swelling and keep pressure on the socket with a clean gauze pad to promote clotting. Make sure you follow any instructions provided by your dentist and take all medications as prescribed and directed!
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