Tooth Extraction: Procedure, Risks And Recovery

by Duaa · October 10, 2020

While many teens and some adults get their wisdom teeth pulled out, there are other reasons why tooth extraction may be very important and becomes necessary in adulthood.

Excessive tooth decay, tooth infection, and crowding can all need a tooth extraction. Those who get braces may require one or two teeth removed to provide room for their other teeth as they shift into place. Additionally, those who are undergoing chemotherapy or are about to have an organ transplant may need compromised teeth removed in order to keep their mouth healthy and stay away from dental problems.

Tooth extraction is performed by a dentist or oral surgeon and is a relatively quick outpatient procedure with either local, general, intravenous anesthesia, or a combination. Removing visible teeth is a simple extraction. Teeth that are broken, below the surface, or impacted require a more involved procedure.

Reasons for Tooth Extraction:

• dental cavities
• gum diseases
• dental infections
• trauma or injury to the tooth or surrounding bone
• wisdom teeth complications
• preparation for a dental prosthesis
• preparation for dental braces, if the teeth are very crowded
• baby teeth not falling out at the proper age

Types of Tooth Extraction:

• Simple Tooth Extraction

Simple tooth extractions refer to the tooth extractions which involves the removal of a visible tooth from your mouth surgically.The need for simple tooth extraction might be needed due to a variety of meta reasons,which generally includes:

• Decayed teeth which can be further not treated with root canals or cavity fillings
• Teeth that has been fractured
• Teeth which has a need for dental implants to be placed in order to have a more pleasing and specified appearance

With simple tooth extractions, many of the dental patients might select  variety of the following dentistry choices :

• Local anesthesia, which is injected through injection towards the side where the tooth needs to be extracted;
• Nitrous oxide, or laughing gas, which will make the patient feel relaxed and little goofy and unaware of  what kind of procedure is being practiced inside his mouth;
• Twilight anesthesia, which is delivered via an IV, and makes you groggy and “out of it” so that you are unaware of your procedure but still somewhat responsive to our doctors and nurse and respond to what they ask
• General anesthesia, which is also delivered via an IV, but completely puts you asleep and you are unaware of everything.

If you choose a combination of local and nitrous oxide for your simple tooth extractions, you’ll be able to drive yourself home after your procedure.

With a simple tooth extraction, recovery time may be easier. You may only need to take the day off work or school, and manage your discomfort with prescription or over-the-counter pain medication.

• Surgical Tooth Extraction

Surgical tooth extractions refers to a process which involves the removal of the  teeth that has not erupted yet or are invisible , from ones mouth.The reasons for this might include:

• If the patient has wisdom teeth that are impacted and is hurting a lot.
• In case the patient has more than 28 teeth due to genetic condition which causes the growth of more teeth.
• If the patient has to undergo procedure like getting braces so erupted teeth need to be extracted for oral procedure

Surgical tooth extractions are more difficult oral surgery procedures because they involve cutting the gums and extracting the teeth from below the gum line. As such, many of our Macomb patients who are having surgical tooth extractions choose twilight or general anesthesia so that they are more comfortable during their procedure, and take a day or two off work or school to recover.

After the Extraction:

The most important thing to keep up with after a tooth extraction is keeping the area clean and preventing infection. Immediately following the procedure, your dentist will ask you to bite down gently on a piece of dry, sterile gauze, which you should keep in place for up to 40-50 minutes so that the gauze soaks the blood, while clotting takes place. After the tooth extraction please make sure that you do not smoke, brush or floss at the place from where the tooth has been extracted or rinse the mouth thoroughly as it may cause a problem for you.

After the extraction, the patient might experience pain and discomfort to a certain level.In order to feel relieved the patient  should use an ice pack so that the area relaxes and he gets relieved of pain and as an other option the patient might also use the painkillers as directed by the expert dentist at our clinic.You can expect a certain amount of pain and discomfort following an extraction.

You should also limit strenuous activity, as well as avoid hot liquids and not drink through a straw. Under normal circumstances, discomfort should lessen within three days to two weeks. However, if the patient is in severe pain and do not feel relaxed and cant get rid of swelling and pain so please do contact or visit our experts immediately.

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or a tooth extraction newbie, your best bet for a successful and uncomplicated procedure is to follow your dentist’s recommendations carefully before and after the procedure. Tooth extraction makes room for something better and can help keep your smile healthy and confident.

Preparation:

A person will have a consultation with our expert dentist or oral surgeon prior to the extraction.

During the consultation, the our dental expert will ask for a thorough medical history. They will also ask about any medications that the person is taking.

Some people need to stop or start taking certain medications in the days leading up to the surgery, depending on the amount of teeth, bone, or both to be removed.

A person may also receive certain medications on the day of the surgery.

• Stopping blood thinners

Many people take blood thinning medication to prevent the formation of blood clots in vessels. These medications can lead to more bleeding during surgery.

Our  dental surgeon can usually control bleeding at the site of the extraction by:

• using topical clotting medications on the gums
• packing the tooth socket with foam or dissolvable gauze
• stitching up the extraction site

Using gauze and applying pressure after the procedure can also help stop bleeding.

However, anyone who takes blood thinners should let our dental surgeon know during the consultation.

In order to tell whether the person should temporarily switch to a different blood thinner or stop taking this type of medication, the surgeon may need to see the results of a recent blood test.

Typically, people do not need to stop taking blood thinners prior to tooth extractions. Anyone considering stopping this treatment should consult or expert dentist or physician first.

• Starting antibiotics

In a few circumstances, a dentist may prescribe antibiotics before a tooth extraction.

For example, they may do so to treat dental infections with widespread symptoms, such as a fever or malaise, along with local oral swelling.

Toothaches without swelling do not require antibiotics. Always take antibiotics exactly as directed by a doctor, and avoid unnecessary use.

A person may need antibiotics if they have a high risk of infective endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves or the interior lining of the heart chambers.

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), people with certain heart conditions have an increased risk of developing this infection following dental surgery.

The AHA and American Dental Association recommends, therefore, that people with any of the following take antibiotics prior to dental surgery to reduce the risk of infection:

• a prosthetic cardiac valve
• a history of cardiac valve repair with prosthetic material
• a cardiac transplant with structural abnormalities of the valve
• certain congenital heart abnormalities
• a history of infective endocarditis

 

• Anesthesia during surgery

The person will receive an injection of local anesthetic close to the site of the extraction. This will numb the area so that the person will not feel any pain. The numbness will continue for a few hours after the surgery.

A person can request additional anesthetic or sedative medication to minimize anxiety during the procedure. The dentist or surgeon may offer:

• nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas
• an oral sedative medication
• intravenous, or IV, sedation
• general anesthetic

A person who receives general anesthetic will be completely asleep during the procedure.

If a person requires any of these, they should let their dentist know during the consultation, and our dentist may refer them to an oral surgeon.

Risks of Tooth Extraction Treatment:

Here are the common risks of tooth extraction treatment:

• Severe Decay or Trauma – Known as an abscessed tooth, this condition can be preserved if caught early. However, it depends on the severity of how decayed it is. This to preserve your neighbored teeth from the same issues.
• Poor Misalignment – Some people may have a crowded jawline that does not hold their teeth in the correct position. The jawbone may be expanded to allow for more space, or removal of teeth and to then fit the remaining teeth correctly.
• A Dry Socket – A dry socket typically occurs when a blood clot did not form properly to protect the socket, causing healing time to increase.
• Nerve Inflammation – The alveolar nerve in the lower jaw sometimes gets damaged. Whilst the nerve damage is temporary and can heal within 3 to 6 months, you could experience permanent numbness in the lower chin.
• Significant Jaw Damage – People with a weak jawbone have a higher chance of contracting a jaw fracture.

Post Treatment Complications

After tooth extraction treatment, if there are still complications, you must contact the oral surgeon if you suffer from the following:

• The swelling gets worse
• If you begin to suffer from fevers, get the chills or redness
• Difficulty in swallowing, especially when you eat and drink
• You suffer from bleeding which becomes uncontrollable and continues to flow aggressively. This includes bleeding over a 24-hour period
• If the tooth extracted area continues to be very painful. This could be a sign of development dry socket.
• Your facial structure tends to feel numb a few hours after treatment

What is the recovery period from a tooth extraction?

It normally takes a few days to recover after a tooth extraction. The following steps help to make sure that your recovery goes smoothly and you do not have to face any problem.

• Apply an ice pack to your cheek directly after the procedure in order to get rid of swelling. Use the ice pack for 10 minutes each time to prevent swelling.
• After the dentist places the gauze pad over the affected area, bite down to reduce bleeding and to support in clot formation. Leave the gauze on for three to four hours, or until the pad is fully soaked with blood.
• Take any medications as prescribed by our expert, including over-the-counter painkillers and make sure to consume them as per directed.
• Rest and relax for the first 24 hours. Do not rush back  into your regular daily routine the following day as you need to relax.
• Don’t use a straw for the first 24 hours.
• Don’t smoke as it is very injurious at that stage.
• Don’t rinse for 24 hours after the tooth extraction, and spit  gently when there is a need.
• Use pillows to prop your head up when you lie down so that you feel relaxed.
• Brush and floss your teeth like normal, but do not brush or floss the extraction site.
• The day after the procedure do not eat hard or sticky foods instead eat soft foods, such as yogurt, pudding, and bread.
• After 24 hours, add a teaspoon of salt to sixteen ounces of warm water to rinse out your mouth.
• As you heal over the next few days, you can slowly reintroduce other foods into your diet.

If you are experiencing pain that isn’t going away after several days or signs of an infection —including fever, pain, and pus or drainage from the incision — make an appointment to see our expert as soon as possible.

Benefits of Tooth extraction:

• Tooth extraction helps preventing the spread of infection and tooth decay.in case you do not want your smile to be ruined the best option is to have a tooth extraction so that you can stay prevented from this threat.
• Tooth extraction can help with overcrowding issues. Overcrowding tends to cause tooth misalignment in the smile and even dental issues. The dental issues form because when the teeth overlap, they are not easy to clean. This gives rise to the development of tooth decay, gum disease ,infections and other dental problems.
• Tooth extraction can relieve your pain and help you have a more precious smile which is painless. Once the decay and infection are gone, you will be able to talk and eat normally and spend a relieved life again!