How to Prepare for a Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction in simple terms, is when a tooth or teeth are extracted by a professional dentist. While your teeth should stay intact for the length of your natural life, there are situations that may warrant an extraction.
Tooth extraction can be done in preteens, teenagers, and adults. The specialist dentists at Kariong Dental Care are experienced enough to carry out a painless and quick tooth extraction procedure on all age groups.
When is Tooth Extraction Necessary?
Typically, you would need a tooth extraction procedure done when you have a badly decayed or damaged tooth.
When there are no viable restorative options available to save the tooth, then the only option left would be a tooth extraction. Other reasons why it may become necessary to have your tooth extracted include;
Severe Infection:
When a tooth decay is so bad that it gets to the pulp of the tooth. It increases the chances of oral bacteria getting to that sensitive part of the tooth.
The pulp is where the blood vessels and nerves are situated, it can get infected when the protective enamel of the tooth is no longer available.
Infections may be corrected with prescribed antibiotics or with root canal therapy (RCT). However, a very severe infection is a justifiable cause to extract a tooth in order to curb a further spread of the infection.
Crowded Mouth:
Your dentist may need to extract your tooth prior to an orthodontia procedure. This procedure is done when your dentition needs alignment or realignment.
If you have large teeth that makes carrying out an orthodontia a bit of a hassle, it then becomes necessary to extract a tooth or teeth as the case be.
Tooth extraction is also needed when a tooth finds it difficult to “erupt” from your gum. This may be due to a crowded mouth and the tooth has no room to break out through your gum. In this scenario, a dentist may advise that a routine tooth extraction procedure is conducted.
Gum Disease:
In a situation where a patient has gum or periodontal disease. With the latter being a severe infection of the nerves, tissues, and even the bones which help to support a tooth or teeth.
It would be absolutely necessary for the affected tooth or teeth as the case may be, to be pulled out.
Possibility of Infection:
While a severe tooth infection is enough reason to extract a tooth, a risk of tooth infection is also a consideration.
A weakened immune system due to surgery or chemotherapy treatment for example, could significantly raise the risk of infection in an already damaged tooth.
In such a situation, a dentist may recommend that the tooth be removed before an infection takes root.
The Tooth Extraction Process
When you are scheduled for a tooth extraction procedure, it is important to try to stay relaxed throughout.
An oral surgeon would usually carry out the extraction and there is a process to it. Below is what you should normally expect during a tooth extraction.
Anesthetic:
A local anesthetic may be injected at a site around the tooth to be pulled out. This anesthetic will ensure that the site surrounding the tooth to be extracted is made numb.
With the local anesthetic, you will feel no pain during the tooth extraction. Alternatively, a general anesthetic may be administered.
This type of anesthetic will ensure that you call asleep during the tooth extraction and feel no pain as well.
During Tooth Extraction:
During the tooth extraction, the oral surgeon may decide to trim off both the bone tissue and gum that surround the targeted tooth for extraction. This scenario usually occurs for an impacted tooth.
The oral surgeon will then securely grasp the tooth with a pair of forceps. With the forceps, the oral surgeon will then attempt to loosen the tooth from the ligaments and jaw bone by carefully rocking it from front to back. If the tooth is proving difficult to extract, it may be removed piece by piece.