5 Things to Know About Tooth Extraction

As you prepare for your tooth extraction procedure during your next dental appointment, you must prepare yourself for what the procedure may entail. Most of the work is on your dentist, but you also have a role to play in the success of your treatment. The top 5 fundamental things you should know about tooth extractions are:

1. What Is a Tooth Extraction?

It is a dental procedure performed to remove a natural tooth from the jawbone. Tooth removal is only done on a need basis since the fundamentals of dentistry dictate saving natural teeth where possible. Therefore, should your dentist recommend tooth extraction in Knoxville, it is because you need it for the overall well-being of your oral cavity.

2. Common Dental Protocols Before Tooth Extraction Procedures

Tooth extraction procedures are typically performed using similar dental protocols. However, it is not to say that all tooth extractions are done the same way. Some teeth can be stubborn, requiring other measures, including oral surgery. However, the following dental protocols are usually done before a tooth extraction procedure commences:

• Numbing – It involves using local anesthesia to numb your mouth on the side of the target tooth. The goal of local anesthesia is to ensure you experience a painless procedure.
• Sedation – It involves using dental sedatives to calm and relax your body. Sedation dentistry is helpful for patients who struggle with dental anxiety, who have a hard time sitting still on the dentist’s chair as he performs the extraction procedure.

3. When Is a Tooth Extraction Needed?

In many cases, a dentist near you will try out various dental treatments to help improve your oral cavity. Some dental treatments that can help save natural teeth include root canal procedures, tooth fillings, and dental crowns, to mention a few. However, sometimes the only option left for salvaging your dental health is tooth extraction. Some such situations in dentistry include:

• Severe dental decay – When the decay is too advanced, even the structure of the tooth is compromised, so much so that a restorative procedure may not be effective to restore it. Removal, in this case, becomes the best course of action.
• Impacted teeth – They are the types of teeth that erupt improperly so that part of the tooth remains stuck under the gum tissue. Surgical tooth extraction measures are employed to remove such a tooth.
• Dental overcrowding –It is a condition where you have more teeth in your mouth than your jawbone can accommodate. The orthodontic problem can improve by removing one or more of your natural teeth to create sufficient room for the rest of them to be properly realigned.
• Periodontitis – It is a severe infection of the gum and bone tissues in the mouth. The more severe this disease is, the more likely you are to have your teeth extracted. Some patients’ teeth may even begin to fall off even before a dentist recommends tooth extractions.

4. The After-Care Instructions You Need When Extraction Is Done

At Knoxville Dental Associates, one of our primary concerns is to equip patients with after-care instructions after every dental procedure. When our dental team completes your treatment, it is upon you to sustain a healthy oral cavity, fostering speedy healing and recovery. After tooth extraction, the following tips can help you care for your mouth amply:

• Cold compress – It is an ice pack wrapped in a clean cloth over your cheek at the location of the extraction wound will help reduce swelling and pain.
• Eat ice cream – This instruction applies for the first few hours after your procedure, as soon as the numbing effect on your mouth wears off.
• Switch to soft foods only – You may have to do this for a couple of days before reintroducing hard foods to your diet. Concentrate on soft foods like soups, yogurt, smoothies, and mashed vegetables. The idea is to keep your body now reached while caring about your wound.
• Take prescribed pain medication – By the time your procedure ends, your dentist will prescribe some medication that will help manage your soreness and discomfort, especially during the first few days of recovery.

5. How Long Does Recovery Take?

The duration of your recovery will depend on various factors, including how well you care for your mouth, your body’s immune system, as well as the nature of your procedure. Typically, it should take between 10 to 14 days for your mouth to recover fully after tooth extraction.