What is tooth extraction and what does it involve?
What is tooth extraction?
It is the process of completely removing one or more teeth from its socket. Tooth extraction is normally done by an oral surgeon or general dentists and periodontists. However, milk teeth do not require intervention from a dentist for removal. It loosens and gives way to permanent teeth.
Simple dental extraction
This refers to the process of removal of teeth that are visible in the mouth. This is probably the most common kind of extraction wherein the dentist numbs the affected area of the mouth with local anesthesia and pulls out the tooth/teeth with the help of forceps.
Surgical dental extraction
This is a more complicated form of extraction which involves the removal of teeth which aren’t readily accessible with instruments or aren’t visible. This could be because the teeth haven’t erupted through the gum or have been fractured under the gum.
In this case, a small incision is made in the connective tissue around the tooth to gain access to it and elevate it for removal. At times, a small portion of the jawbone is also removed during the surgery.
What is its procedure?
The procedure starts with a thorough examination of your oral health and overall health. In case of chronic diseases, allergies, etc. a detailed report on your medication history is obtained by the doctors and they may recommend you the temporarily the stop the consumption of certain medications before the extraction. You may have to visit the clinic one or more times before the extraction. Right before the extraction a sedative may be given to you to ease anxiety. Then a local anesthetic is injected to the gum to numb the affected area. Once the targeted area is numb, the dentist grabs the tooth with a dental instrument and rocks it side to side to loosen it before totally removing it.
You may feel a slight plug of the tooth in your gum but the procedure is mostly painless. Depending on the complexity of the decay, the procedure can range from a few minutes to half an hour. After the removal is done, the patient may or may not require stitches in the gum to close the incision. Thereafter, a soft cotton pad is placed over the gum, which you could bite in to control bleeding. The doctor will then give you a list of foods or fluids that you can consume for a period of time. He may also prescribe pain medication or antibiotics depending on the condition.
What are the risks?
After a few hours a one may sometimes experience these:
- A lingering pain
- Stiffness of the jaw
- Frequent bleeding from the wound
- Infection of the wound
- Dry socket, which can cause bleeding, pain, and infection. Immediate treatment is required in this case.
