Tooth Extraction Procedure in Laurel, MD
Maryland Tooth Extraction Services
A tooth extraction can be a welcome solution to mouth pain or discomfort, providing instant relief. Removing a tooth is generally required because of tooth decay or disease, but there are other reasons a patient may require a tooth to be removed, too such as injury or trauma to the mouth, radiation therapies that require exposed teeth to be removed, patients receiving braces may need to create room for the teeth that will eventually move, those receiving cancer treatments or an organ transplant may experience increased tooth infections due to their weakened immune systems and wisdom teeth removal (the most common extraction).
Tooth Extraction Preparation and Procedure
The first step in tooth extraction is to fully examine the area of pain. Your dentist will perform an X-ray on the affected area to determine a plan of action. The X-ray will allow your dentist to analyze the severity of the injury or disease (if present), the relationship of the teeth to your sinuses and nerves, and the specific locations of your teeth in relationship to each other. Once your dentist has determined a course of action, it’s time for your tooth extraction. There are two types of extractions that dentists and oral surgeons commonly perform:
- Simple extraction: Your dentist or oral surgeon will loosen the tooth with a specially designed instrument before using a forceps to pull the tooth. This procedure is performed on a tooth that is visible in the mouth, unbroken, not too brittle, or too infected to pull.
- Surgical extraction: Your doctor will make a small cut in your gum to remove the tooth. Depending on the severity of your condition, the doctor may need to remove bone around the tooth or cut the tooth into pieces to remove it. This more-complex procedure is performed with a tooth that has not emerged above the gum line, has been broken off at the gum line, or is too damaged to perform a simple extraction.
Post-Extraction care
After a tooth extraction, there are a few behaviors to avoid that will make recovery faster and less painful:
- Avoid smoking or chewing tobacco.
- Avoid chewing food directly in the area, and choose foods that don’t require much chewing in general.
- Avoid drinking anything through a straw for the first couple of days.
- Avoid aggressive rinsing of the area.
- Avoid vigorous brushing and flossing of the area and the teeth directly next to the extracted tooth.
Avoiding these actions will allow a blood clot to form in the area where the tooth once was. The blood clot is integral in allowing the area to heal, preventing infection, and preventing a painful condition called dry socket from forming. Dry socket is when the blood clot is forced out of the mouth by some action, allowing the nerve and bone to be exposed to air and food. This condition is especially painful but easily avoided if you follow your dentist’s post-extraction rules. Contact Dr. Batz & Weiner Family Dentistry in Laurel, MD, today.