When your tooth is damaged or decayed beyond the ability to be repaired with a crown, you may need to have it extracted. Otherwise, you risk worsening pain or even the loss of a tooth. But with tooth extraction, your Virginia, Beach, VA, dentist can protect your smile from major oral health complications.
What Calls for a Tooth Extraction?
A tooth exaction means we remove a tooth completely, and multiple scenarios could call for this oral surgery. For example, as we touched on above, decay, infection, and injury too severe for a bonding or crown procedure could need removal, otherwise infection could spread to other teeth or into the jawbone. If a tooth is loosened by gum disease, it could need removal. We may also extract teeth to make room for orthodontic treatment, such as Invisalign®, or to pave the way for removable or implant-secured dentures.
But the most common reason to remove a tooth is to prevent complications related to wisdom teeth. When you or a family member is in their late teens or early 20s, up to four new teeth could erupt in the rear of the mouth. These molars are wisdom teeth, and they could cause misalignment, infection, injury to the teeth, or a painful partial eruption known as an impaction. To safeguard the health, function, and beauty of your smile, we can extract these before they even erupt!
How Do We Ensure Your Treatment is Comfortable
A tooth extraction is a form of oral surgery, so we will take steps to ensure the procedure is comfortable and that you enjoy a positive experience in our office. For example, we will plan the procedure in detail with digital x-rays, so we can pinpoint the position of the tooth and plan removal to avoid encountering blood vessels, nerve tissues, or sinus cavities. The digital x-ray uses 90% less radiation and is available instantly chairside, so the diagnostic and planning process is shorter and more convenient too.
When the time comes for treatment, we will administer a local anesthesia to the area where the tooth is being removed, which helps you stay comfortable. If you have anxiety, we could also help with dental sedation. Using options like nitrous oxide, oral conscious sedation, or even IV sedation, we will help you enter a deep state of calm and relaxation, with little to no memory of the procedure. Then option we choose will be based on age, weight, medical history, and any medications you’re currently taking. We also assist those with special needs or the presence of dental anxiety or phobias.
The Removal of Your Tooth
When you’re ready and properly prepared, we will use a pair of forceps to gently loosen and remove the tooth. For wisdom teeth, we may need to open the gums above them to access and remove the extra molars. Once we do, we may add medications to the area and can suture the site closed. Since sedation takes time to wear off, you will need someone to bring you home afterward, and we will offer aftercare medications and prescriptions for any necessary medications. The entire process could take as little as 30 minutes in some cases!
Aftercare
When you arrive at home, be sure you rest for the next day or two. We will remove sutures in a follow-up visit and most people return to their normal routine after about 24 to 48 hours. In the meantime, eat soft foods, be very gentle when you brush and floss, and take any medications as prescribed. Avoid straw use and don’t poke the site with your tongue. As part of the healing process, we want a clot to form and you don’t want to dislodge it and cause a painful dry socket.
Tooth Replacement with Dental Implants
While many cases don’t necessitate tooth replacement, if you lose one to injury or poor oral health, this could leave a gap behind that weakens your smile and increases the risk of serious complications down the road. Our team could plan tooth replacement with dental implants, offering an option that functions like natural tooth roots and preserves the jawbone, so your new teeth can last for decades to come, possibly a lifetime. Our team can offer individual options to address a single missing tooth, or employ several posts to support implant bridges or even fixed dentures.
If you have any questions about oral surgery, tooth extraction, or dental implants, then contact our team today.
Schedule Your Appointment for Restorative Dentistry
You can call Absolute Dental Care in Virginia Beach, VA at (757) 428-7440 to schedule an appointment for a tooth extraction, so we can help preserve and protect your smile.
