A tooth extraction could actually protect your smile from major complications that occur following infection or injury. Our team takes steps to ensure the procedure is a comfortable and gentle one. In today’s blog, your Virginia Beach, VA, dentist talks about when a tooth extraction is necessary for your smile.
The Reasons for a Tooth Extraction
When do we recommend removing a tooth? A tooth extraction could be needed if a tooth is too decayed, infected, or damaged to be repaired with a filling, root canal, or crown. In these situations, leaving the tooth alone could allow infections to develop that spread to other parts of the smile and threaten further tooth loss. We’ve also removed them when gum disease loosens them, or to make room for orthodontic treatment. Tooth extraction could also aid in improving bite balance and chewing function. The most common reason however is to address wisdom tooth eruption. Up to four new molars could arrive in the area of the mouth as people enter adulthood, and this could lead to misalignment, infection, and impaction. But we can avoid this by simply removing them before they arrive.
The Procedure
Removing a tooth usually takes as little as 30 minutes. We carefully plan the procedure by taking detailed digital x-rays, so we can identify the position of the tooth and avoid sensitive inner tissues and sinus cavities. We then numb the area with a local anesthetic, and also offer sedation to help you enter a calm and relaxed state, so you have little to no memory of the procedure at all. We then extract the tooth with a pair of forceps. The area will then be sutured closed.
Recovery
A friend or family member will take you home, and we will provide prescriptions for medication to aid in the healing process, as well as instructions for aftercare. You usually need to rest for a day, and in that time avoid solid foods, straws, and poking the site with your tongue. A clot needs to form as part of the healing process and you don’t want to dislodge it. You should be very careful when brushing and flossing too. We will remove the sutures in a follow up visit.
Tooth Replacement
If you have a gap in your smile, we could offer dental prosthetics to fill these empty spaces and prevent complications.
Safeguarding Your Smile In Virginia Beach, VA
Our team wants to help treat missing teeth and also remove teeth that endanger your smile. Call Absolute Dental Care in Virginia Beach, VA at 757-428-7440 to schedule an appointment for restorative care and oral surgery.
