Most adults will experience a tooth extraction in their lifetime. Tooth extraction is not indicative of poor dental hygiene, as sometimes teeth naturally need extraction, such as wisdom teeth that become painful. Tooth extractions have become a painless procedure, through the use of modern techniques, and local anesthesia that numbs the extraction area.Robert J. Malone DDS wants you to know that tooth extraction should not worry you, as this routine surgery has minimal risk involved. We can accommodate your next tooth extraction, and ensure a smooth recovery afterwards.
Procedure
You may come to us with a toothache, or another tooth complication, and they could advise the best solution is to have it extracted. Alternatively, you could be having a check-up and our team notices severe decay, that means a tooth needs to be extracted. This could be because the tooth is dead, or the decay is so severe there is no healthy amount of tooth left to save.
The procedure only takes one appointment, and the patient is placed under local anesthesia. If the patient is a child, or they are particularly nervous about having their tooth extracted, general anesthesia can be used.
The extraction is relatively easy, as we will ease the tooth slightly out of its socket, through the use of an implement called an elevator. This loosens the tooth ready for the forceps, which grip and gently pull it out. On occasion, the tooth comes out in parts, and so several attempts are needed to fully remove the tooth.
After tooth removal, unless it is a wisdom tooth being extracted, we will probably advise the implementing of a synthetic tooth. This can be done by a dental implant, but there a plenty of options available that our team can talk you through.
Care
It is very important to have the next day off from any work-related or social obligations, as the recovery time is at least 24 hours before a person can return to their daily life. It is best to have someone who can tend to you and help you in your recovery. Our team will prescribe painkillers, that should be taken as instructed. You will still feel the effects of the anesthesia for a few hours after the extraction.
For the next 24 hours, relaxing and eating cold/soft foods is advised to prevent irritating the extraction area and delaying the healing process. You can add harder foods, as the recovery continues throughout the week. Pain should subside within the week. You cannot brush the extracted area, or rinse your mouth, for 24 hours.
We will give you a proper recovery plan, with instructions on medication, and what to expect throughout the week. It is important to allow your body time to recover from the pain and anesthesia, as well as not to disturb the extraction area until it has properly healed.
If you need a tooth extraction, Robert J. Malone DDS can create a treatment plan that allows you to have a tooth removed and placed in the same day, so you don’t have to spend any time with a gap in your smile.
Call us at (760) 546-5557 to book an appointment.