A tooth extraction is necessary for several reasons, including decay and severe damage. It’s among the most common dental procedures. Tooth extractions help eliminate bacteria and improve your dental health.
This is a dental procedure while you are dentist removes a tooth from its socket. Sometimes it’s referred to as pulling a tooth.
Our dentists in San Diego, CA, prefer saving your tooth whenever possible. However, other restorative methods, such as dental crowns and fillings, aren’t enough. In such cases where your teeth are severely damaged to the point of no repair, then extraction is necessary. The dentist might recommend tooth removal if you have the following:
Your dentist In Scripps Poway Dental Care will assess your affected tooth and its surrounding gums. The dentist will take dental x-rays to determine the level of damage and check bone levels.
Ensure you inform your dentist about any medications, supplements, or vitamins you may take. Once the dentists have gathered all the information, they’ll discuss the sedation and treatment options with you.
During tooth extraction near you, your dentist will first administer local anesthesia to numb the affected truth and the surrounding gum tissue. Next, your dentist will loosen your tooth using specialized dental instruments and carefully lift it from its socket.
There are times well your dentist will need to make incisions in the gums to assess the tooth, especially if it’s much decayed. Once the tooth is extracted, they will clean and disinfect the socket. Your dentist might also place a dental bone graft to help prevent bone loss in the jaw. They will also place stitches to aid in healing.
When the extraction process is complete, your dentist places a piece of gauze over the extraction area. They’ll request you to bite down with firm and steady pressure. This will help in forming blood clots since it slows bleeding.
The clots help in healing and reduce the risk of dry sockets. You will then be asked to take the gauze out once the bleeding has stopped. However, you might continue experiencing light bleeding for the first 24 hours.
The Recovery time depends on the complexity of each person. However, most individuals will return to their normal activities after a few days. Even though you’ll be able to return to your daily activities within two to three days, the jawbone ticks some weeks to heal completely.
So if you plan to replace your missing tooth or teeth with a dental implant after the extraction, you’ll need to wait a few months to heal completely.
Tooth extraction carries some risks that include
After your tooth extraction in San Diego, the dentist gives detailed aftercare instructions. Some of the general guidelines include
You should avoid crunchy foods for the first week after extraction. Instead, ensure you take soft foods such as yogurt, pasta, and rice. Also, avoid drinking straws because they can dislodge blood clots causing dry sockets.