Maintaining strong dental health and building a beautiful smile can sometimes call for a tooth extraction. Also known as pulling a tooth, an extraction occurs when a tooth is decayed or damaged beyond dental repairs. If you think you need a tooth removed, you naturally have some important questions. Learn more about this common procedure here. 

What Dental Patients Want to Know About Tooth Extractions

Are decay and damage the only reasons for pulling a tooth? 

While severe breaks and painful tooth decay are two important reasons for extractions, they also occur because of tooth crowding. Overcrowding can occur when the mouth is too small, causing the teeth to overlap and become crooked. Both issues create brushing and flossing challenges that heighten the risk of tooth decay. 

Other reasons for tooth extraction include impacted wisdom teeth that put pressure on nearby teeth and cause pain. Periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease, can also call for extractions because there isn’t enough gum tissue to support the teeth. 

What does the procedure entail? 

After the dentist applies local anesthesia to numb the area, they use special pliers to remove the tooth from its socket. Next, they cleanse the socket with an antiseptic solution and stitch the opening shut. 

If a surgical extraction is required because of an impacted wisdom tooth, the dentist or oral surgeon uses IV sedation before making small incisions in gum tissue. When the procedure involves sedation, a friend or family member must drive you home. 

What is recovery like? 

The dentist will provide specific instructions in light of the extraction’s complexity, but most recovery plans include avoiding strenuous activities and resting for a few days, using a saltwater rinse to prevent infection, and switching the gauze over the socket as necessary. 

Over-the-counter pain medication and cold compresses relieve pain and swelling. If the extraction was for a wisdom tooth, you should avoid using a straw, as the sucking action can dislodge the blood clot. 

You’ll also want to eat soft foods since hard and crunchy foods can damage the socket and create further discomfort. Brush and floss as normal, but stay away from the affected socket for several days. 

What are the options for the resulting tooth gap? 

If there is enough supporting jawbone and gum tissue, you could get a dental implant. Gum grafting can build up gum tissue to make you a good candidate for this solution, and a bone graft can restore jawbone mass. Made of titanium screws, abutments, and dental caps or crowns, implants look and function like real teeth. 

Other options include fixed dental bridges and partial dentures that fill in one or multiple tooth gaps. Should all the teeth need removing, full dentures are typically recommended. 

For tooth extractions and other quality dental care services, trust Dr. Robert N. Petrtyl, DDS. Serving Blue Ash, Wyoming, Reading, Cincinnati, Mason, Finneytown, Mount Healthy, and Winton Hills, OH, this family dentist offers general, restorative, and cosmetic dentistry services within a welcoming, comfortable environment. Call (513) 554-4657 today to make an appointment or learn more about their services online.