Tooth ExtractionsAn Overview
Considered a treatment of last resort in most cases, tooth extraction is sometimes necessary for your long-term dental health. Dr. James Dickert and Dr. Agatha Lynn perform simple tooth extractions in the comfort of our family-friendly Charleston dentist office. A tooth extraction will be completed during one visit using a local anesthetic or dental sedation with nitrous oxide.
Unless your tooth is extracted due to overcrowding of teeth in the mouth, we will make appropriate recommendations for tooth replacement. Replacing a lost tooth quickly and effectively will prevent the development of additional dental concerns. Left untreated, lost teeth can lead to gum disease, decay, and shifting of remaining teeth which will affect the fit and health of your bite over time.
Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom teeth typically erupt in the late teens and early twenties. In most cases, removal is recommended for long-term dental health. Dr. Dickert and Dr. Lynn will monitor the development of your wisdom teeth and coordinate removal with a local oral surgeon in most cases due to the involvement of the bone.
Tooth Extractions What to Expect
On the day of your procedure, we will begin by making you as comfortable as possible with a local anesthetic or dental sedation. We will explain all aspects of the procedure and offer post-treatment care tips to reduce the risk of infection or complications such as dry socket. With proper sedation or numbing, an extraction is a relatively quick procedure causing minimal discomfort that is experienced as the pressure in the jaw where the tooth is being removed.
We will begin by slowly rocking the tooth in the socket to loosen it and separate the connecting ligaments. Once free, your tooth will slide out of the socket, which will be cleaned and packed with sterile gauze to stem bleeding and prevent infection.
After the Extraction
After the tooth has been pulled, there will be a small hole in the socket where the bottom part of the tooth used to be. A blood clot will form and it will be important to have gauze in your mouth to help control the bleeding. You should bite on gauze for about 35-45 minutes after the procedure.
To protect the blood clot, you should not: smoke, vigorously rinse your mouth out, suck on a straw, consume alcohol, or brush your teeth at the extraction site. If the clot does come, it will prolong your healing time.
Replace the Extracted Tooth With a Dental Implant
It is important that you replace your tooth after it has been extracted. We recommend an implant-secured dental crown because it’s a permanent solution. The implant will actually fuse with the bone in your jaw, replacing the root of the missing tooth, preventing bone loss.
Choosing this restoration will not require reducing or putting stress on perfectly healthy teeth. Even though implants cost more than other teeth replacement options, when properly placed and cared for, they can last a lifetime. They are an investment in your overall well-being and oral health.
