All You Should Know About Tooth Extraction Procedure

Tooth extractions have always been regarded as one of the most painful and unnecessary dental procedures. Most of the time, anyone who gets scheduled for an extraction ends up feeling like they could skip out on the dental appointment altogether.

What is Tooth Extraction?

Tooth extraction is a dental procedure that involves the removal of damaged or, in other cases, whole teeth. This extraction is usually an outpatient procedure that is done under local, general, or intravenous administered anesthesia.

When Tooth Extraction is Necessary?

Your permanent teeth were meant to last you your entire lifetime, however, some unforeseen circumstances make extractions necessary. Here are some of the reasons why our dentist in Huntington, NY, may schedule you for tooth extraction:

• Damaged teeth- permanent teeth that may have been damaged by decay or trauma may be too damaged to salvage and may require removal.
• Preparing for the application of braces or orthodontia may require some extractions to ensure proper alignment of teeth.
• Wisdom teeth that are taking up too much space and impeding the emergence of other teeth also call for extractions.
• Infections of the gums- periodontal infections that affect the tissues surrounding the tooth may compromise the integrity of the tooth and force it to be extracted.
• Patients undergoing chemotherapy treatments or are scheduled for organ transplants might have to get infected teeth extracted. To cut back on the risks of severe infections due to a compromised immune system.

Types of Tooth Extraction

Based on the severity of your issue, our dentist in Main street Huntington may schedule you for one of these two procedures:

Simple Tooth Extraction

This procedure involves the removal of visible, damaged teeth. It involves applying anesthesia locally to the area surrounding the affected tooth. This serves to numb out the pain as our dentist in Main street Huntington uses an elevator to pry loose the affected tooth, before removing it using a set of forceps. In other cases, you may be given anti-anxiety drugs to keep you calm and relaxed during the procedure.

Surgical Extraction

This extraction is more involving. Surgical tooth extractions ideally are used to remove teeth that are damaged or have not yet emerged and are not visible above the gums.

Our oral surgeon in Smile Huntington will take you through this process painlessly by administering both intravenous and general anesthesia, to ensure that you are unconscious and calm during the whole procedure.

Our oral surgeon will then proceed to make a small incision on your gum and cut through your bone to facilitate the removal of the damaged tooth.

What to Expect During the Procedure?

Before the procedure begins, an X-ray of the affected tooth or teeth will be taken. This will help guide our dentist on the type of extraction to undertake based on the severity of the dental issue.

The procedure will begin with the administering of anesthesia, either locally, intravenously, or general, based on the procedure being undertaken.

During the procedure, you should not feel any pain, other than some pulling or grinding on the tooth. If you are in any pain immediately inform our dentist so that more anesthesia can be applied to ensure a painless procedure.

After the extraction is done, our dentist will set in some stitches to help stop the bleeding and ask you to bite down on a gauze that will be applied to the affected area to initiate your blood clotting process.

Tooth Extraction Aftercare

Aftercare is essential in ensuring the affected site heals as it should with minimal discomfort. You should, therefore, ensure that you manage your pain using the prescribed medications our dentist at Smile Huntington will provide you with. The anesthesia applied during the extraction will wear off a few hours later, and these drugs will help reduce inflammation and pain that will result from the extraction.

The pain you experience should keep on decreasing after the procedure. If this is not the case, you should notify our dentist in Huntington, NY, as this may be a sign that the site is infected, especially if a fever accompanies the pain. It would help if you did the following:

• Change your dental gauze regularly whenever it is soaked.
• Apply an ice pack to cut back on facial inflammation.
• Brush and floss carefully without disturbing the site.
• Rinse your mouth with a warm saline solution every few hours.
• Avoid disturbing the site in any way within the first 24 hours after the procedure, as this will hamper effective clotting and healing. It is not advisable to use a straw, eat solid food, and use an alcohol-based mouth wash or rinse your mouth vigorously.

Visit Your Dentist Nearby

Tooth extractions are not as bad as they sound, they can be carried out swiftly, and our dentists at Smile Huntington are available to ensure that your experience will be pain-free and as comfortable as possible. Book your appointment with us today!