All You Need to Know About Tooth Extraction

All You Need to Know About Tooth Extraction

August 2, 2022

Severe tooth decay, infection, and overcrowding of teeth are some of the reasons you may need to undergo dental extraction. In addition, when going for a cosmetic restoration procedure, your dentist in Youngstown may have to remove one or several teeth to create room for dental braces or another prosthesis. However, before you finally decide to undergo a dental extraction procedure, there are some things we think you should know first. We have thus prepared this article to provide more insight on dental extraction and what you’ll need to know before making a final decision.

What Is Tooth Extraction?

Tooth extraction is a procedure carried out on patients with damaged, infected, or extra sets of teeth. A dentist will surgically remove the damaged tooth, and you will have to keep off solid food until the wound is healed up. The procedure, if done correctly, is fast and painless.

Since you might be wondering why tooth removal is necessary. Here are a few reasons dental extraction might be necessary:

To Stop the Spread of Infection

The spread of tooth infections can be curbed if treatment is administered early. For example, during routine dental checkups, your dentist may notice signs of disease and recommend dental extraction to stop the infection from spreading to adjacent teeth.

Relieve Dental Pain

Severe dental pain can put you in a bad mood and reduce your concentration at work. Your natural teeth first, try to save your natural teeth and when that fails, use dental removal as a last resort.

Remove Extra Teeth

Some patients suffer from a dental condition that causes an extra set of teeth to grow in areas they shouldn’t. The lack of room to accommodate the extra teeth results in crooked, unattractive teeth that cause bite-related issues. Tooth extraction can be used to remove the extra teeth in the mouth, giving room for the natural teeth to align well via dental braces.

How to Prepare for Dental Extraction

Don’t Eat Anything

We usually recommend all our patients scheduled for dental surgery not eat 8-12 hours prior. This is because some patients feel nauseated during surgery and thus end up vomiting. Talk to your dentist first and tell them if you have any underlying medical condition such as diabetes since it may make fasting unsafe.

Organize Transport to Take You Back Home

It won’t matter which sedation technique your dentist opts for when carrying out dental removal won’t matter. You will still need to wait a few hours after the operation is complete to ensure all the anesthesia left in your system has worn off completely. That being said, driving yourself home immediately after the procedure will be unsafe, so we don’t advise it. Instead, bring a friend, relative, or colleague to take you back home once treatment is complete. You can also opt to order a cab to take you to and from your dental appointment.

Talk to Your Insurance Provider

Most dental insurance providers will cover dental extraction since it’s considered a restorative operation. However, ensure you talk to your dental insurance providers first to ascertain if they will pay half of the bill. It would be best if you also spoke to your dentist’s clinic to confirm whether or not they accept your insurance provider before committing.

What Is Socket Preservation

You might have come across the term socket preservation at least once when researching dental extraction. So what is socket preservation, and what does it involve?

Socket preservation is a bone graft procedure carried out after tooth removal to prevent the loss of jawbone tissue. We will retract your gumline, remove the damaged tooth, insert a synthetic material (usually a bone from another animal) on the tooth socket, and cover it with collagen before suturing the wounded gum tissue.

This procedure is not necessary after tooth removal; thus, another dentist may not perform it. So, visit our dental clinic for socket preservation in Phoenix, AZ.

What to Eat After Tooth Extraction?

After tooth removal, patients will be required to stay away from solid food for at least 24 hours. During this period, you will be limited to consuming soft foods and liquids such as bone soup to help your wound heal faster. Ensure the soup is not so hot or cold since the wound will be sensitive to very hot or cold temperatures at first.

Can You Smoke After Dental Extraction?

It would be best if you quit smoking until your wound is healed. Smoking can slow down the blood clotting process, which is essential for healing. If you can’t quit smoking entirely, use nicotine patches instead.

Conclusion

Dental extraction has a lot of benefits to oral health and wellness. However, you might feel a bit nervous if it’s your first dental operation, so we will do our best to ensure the procedure is as comfortable and painless as possible. So, visit Agua Fria Dental today for the best dental services in Phoenix, AZ. We use modern dental technology so you can have a comfortable and painless experience.

Click to listen highlighted text!