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It is important to protect the blood clot at the extraction site to prevent dry socket.
During your consultation with Dr. Shah, an oral exam will be performed and x-rays will be taken to look at the extent of damage and determine if extraction is the right course of action.
Once we’ve examined your teeth, our Naperville dentist can decide if you need a basic or surgical extraction and will schedule your appointments accordingly.
If your tooth is impacted, we will need to make an incision to gain access to the tooth. Otherwise, a dental elevator is used to loosen the tooth, and forceps are used to remove it.
Dr. Shah will explain how to care for your tooth after your extraction and what to expect from the healing process. If you have non-dissolvable sutures, you will return to have them removed. Otherwise, the stitches will dissolve on their own.
A basic tooth extraction is the default type of extraction for teeth that are visible in the mouth. If your tooth isn’t impacted, then you won’t need a surgical extraction. We will administer a local anesthetic in our Naperville practice so you don’t feel any discomfort and then we’ll use an appliance called an elevator to loosen the tooth from the socket. This severs the ligaments holding it in place. Once it’s completely loose, we will use forceps to get a firm grasp of the tooth and remove it.
When it comes to wisdom teeth, these typically need to be removed surgically because they are impacted or erupting improperly. A surgical extraction involves making an incision into the gums so we can access the tooth. You will be under local anesthetic so you won’t feel any pain and you may also receive additional sedation to make you feel comfortable.
An elevator and forceps are used again to loosen and remove the tooth. However, we may section the tooth into small fragments to make it easier to remove. Wisdom teeth often involve removing more bone and soft tissue than basic extractions.
The most common reasons that teeth need to be extracted include impacted wisdom teeth, tooth decay, gum disease, severe dental trauma, and untreated tooth infection. Watch out for symptoms such as severe tooth pain, stiff or painful jaw, swelling in the gums or face, an abscess, inflamed gums, broken teeth, and wisdom teeth that are growing at an angle and damaging your other teeth.
A tooth extraction is a last resort treatment for a tooth that is beyond repair so it’s not something to be taken lightly. At Washington Dental Studio, we will always explore other restorative treatments before suggesting to have a tooth removed.
If you have an infection, we can treat it with root canal therapy unless the infection has spread very deep into the tooth. Damage can typically be repaired with dental crowns but if a tooth has broken off at the gum line, this isn’t the kind of damage that can be repaired.
When we do need to remove a tooth, we will always inform you about the importance of having it replaced to prevent bone loss, shifting teeth, and changes to your facial appearance. The only teeth that don’t need to be replaced are wisdom teeth. If you notice these signs, contact us right away for an emergency appointment.
It takes about 3 to 4 weeks to fully heal from an extraction. Surgical extractions can take a little longer to heal, at 1 to 3 months. Immediately after extraction, you can expect to bleed from the socket which is why gauze is placed in the socket for you to bite down on for 30-60 minutes.
In the first 24 hours, you will need to keep changing your gauze and replacing them with fresh dampened ones. This is also a crucial time to reduce swelling by keeping your head elevated, icing the area, and taking anti-inflammatory pain medication which can also help with discomfort.
The swelling will peak 2-3 days after the removal of the tooth and you will have the most restrictions in the first 24 hours. You’ll need to rest and avoid the following: drinking through straws, vigorously rinsing your mouth, spitting, and brushing your teeth.
After 24 hours, you can rinse your mouth with a saline solution a few times a day and can return to regular brushing and flossing if you stay away from the extraction site. You’ll need to eat a soft food diet for at least a week but should stick to mostly liquids in the first 1 or 2 days to minimize chewing.
Hard and sticky foods are off-limits during this time and you should avoid smoking entirely. Alcohol should be avoided for at least 24 hours. The socket will look mostly healed around day 3 and after a week, a blood clot should be fully formed in the socket. After 2 weeks, you should be nearly completely healed with only mild lingering tenderness and sensitivity in the socket.
No, because we numb your mouth with a local anesthetic, you can’t feel any pain. Most patients don’t require any sedation but if it would make you feel more comfortable and less anxious, this is available.
We may recommend sedation for surgical extractions since they are more invasive and cause more sounds and pressure. However, you don’t have to worry about being in pain. Once the anesthetic wears off, mild tenderness or pain may be felt for a few days but it will subside more each day and you can take anti-inflammatory pain medication to relieve your discomfort.
It can take about 3 weeks to completely heal from a tooth extraction.
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