Dental extraction essentially involves removal of a diseased or damaged tooth. In some instances, the dentist removes a healthy tooth due to overcrowding.
Permanent teeth are meant to last a lifetime. However, when there's no other option, the dentist will recommend removal.
Most extractions are simple and uncomplicated. The dentist also provides detailed information about the post-extraction routine patients must follow to facilitate quick recovery.
Why do you have to undergo dental extraction?
Chronic tooth decay may lead to the destruction of most of the tooth. If the tooth is beyond saving, a specialist in family dentistry in Geist is likely to recommend extraction. Gentle Dentist says if the tooth is infected and there’s danger of the infection spreading, an extraction is usually the best option.
Some patients undergo extraction due to advanced gum or periodontal disease. When you’re undergoing orthodontic management for poor teeth alignment, it’s often necessary to remove a few teeth to prepare the mouth for dental bracing.
What happens during dental extraction?
Some people are scared of sitting on the dental chair to have their tooth extracted. It helps to learn about the procedure in detail to dispel misconceptions and doubts. It’s often the patient’s lack of cooperation and repeated flinching and squirming that complicates matters.
The procedure is quite simple. After administering a local anesthetic, the dentist uses a sanitized instrument to loosen the tooth from its socket. Permanent teeth are held in place by a ligament, and for it to come loose, the dentist has to expand the socket first. As soon as the tooth is free, the dentist pulls it out.
The wound left by the absent tooth takes time to heal. With proper care, there should be no complications after the procedure. The dentist will prescribe pain relieving drugs and antibiotics to facilitate quick recovery. If you follow post-extraction care guidelines, the socket will heal in a couple of weeks.