When is a Tooth Extraction Needed?
If you’ve suffered dental trauma or are living with a toothache due to untreated infection or disease, you may need a tooth extraction to truly preserve your smile. A damaged or abscessed tooth can quickly lead to more serious issues affecting your other teeth, oral health, and even in some cases, your physical health if the cause is gum disease. At Reimels, Miller, Paterra Family & Cosmetic Dentistry, our goal is to save a natural tooth, but if it doesn’t respond to conservative treatment, extraction may be necessary. Our dentist provides gentle tooth extractions in Huntersville, NC to quickly remedy your pain and save your smile from unnecessary harm. With sedation dentistry, a relaxing atmosphere, and affordable pricing, we’ll make your tooth extraction, and the path to restored health, surprisingly simple.
Our Tooth Extraction Process
Tooth Extraction
After you arrive for your tooth extraction procedure at our Huntersville, NC practice, we’ll first ensure you are comfortable and then numb the gums around your tooth with a local anesthetic. Next, we’ll use forceps to grasp your tooth and gently remove it, being careful to not harm adjacent teeth or bone and gum tissue at the site. Our dentist and dental team routinely complete tooth extraction procedures and are skilled in making them efficient and pain-free. Before you know it, your procedure will be complete! Your healing period will last a few days, during which time you may take over-the-counter medication for any discomfort. We’ll review post-operative instructions and recommendations with you in detail to ensure a healthy and comfortable recovery.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
o If you need a wisdom tooth extracted, our priority is to ensure you are comfortable and calm for your surgery. We will provide sedation dentistry as needed, and prepare the surgical site by administering local anesthetic. Next, we’ll remove your wisdom teeth, being careful to preserve your bone and gum tissues. Once your surgery is complete, we’ll provide instructions for your recovery and at-home care as you heal. Adhering to these instructions will help ensure a healthy blood clot forms and you don’t develop any infection at the surgical site.
Gum Grafting
Gums receding or pulling away from the teeth leave sensitive roots exposed to harmful bacteria. Gum grafting restores gum tissue where it has receded, usually replacing it with tissue from your own mouth This tissue graft will fuse with your existing gums, alleviating your tooth sensitivity and giving you a consistent and healthy gumline.
The Results of a Tooth Extraction
- Eliminate tooth pain and sensitivity
- Halt the spread of decay or infection
- Preserve surrounding natural teeth
- Restore oral health and comfort
After Your Tooth Extraction
After any tooth extraction, it’s critical that you take special steps to ensure the healing process goes as it should. A blood clot typically forms over an empty tooth socket during healing. If this doesn’t happen or if the blood clot is removed, the bone and nerves below the socket become exposed. This results in a painful complication called dry socket. You can prevent dry socket and ensure a smooth recovery by following the post-extraction guidelines we’ll review in detail with you after your surgery.
Your tooth extraction shouldn’t be the last stage of your treatment, though. We recommend many patients replace their extracted tooth, and generally encourage dental implants. The only permanent tooth replacement, dental implants look and act just like natural teeth due to their similar structure—post (tooth root) and restoration (tooth crown). This tooth will look identical to your natural teeth and provide all the same functional benefits. It’ll be as if you’d never had a tooth extracted in the first place!
