According to the CDC, more than 19 million teeth are removed in America yearly. That is why teeth removal is one of the country’s most common restorative dental procedures. Dr. Taylor’s Family Dental Center has a team of experts that ensure every measure is taken to prevent tooth extraction. However, sometimes, a dentist will have no option but to recommend tooth removal. Below are a few things to know about tooth removal.
When you might need a tooth extraction
There are many reasons you may require the removal of your teeth. Generally, if your dentist cannot salvage the affected tooth, you will require tooth extraction. You will need tooth removal if you have severe tooth cavities, gum disease, or cracked teeth.
Additionally, your dentist can recommend tooth extraction when you have impacted or congested teeth. An impacted tooth is a tooth that does not completely emerge from your gums. For instance, you will experience tooth impaction when the jawbone does not have adequate space to accommodate more teeth.
Remember that impacted teeth are difficult to brush and floss. For that reason, they usually encourage plaque accumulation, which can cause cavities and diseased gums.
Potential risks of teeth removal
If you undergo tooth removal, you will most likely experience common effects such as pain, swelling, bruises, infections, and bleeding. The effects tend to disappear gradually, within a week or a few days. Using the tooth extraction services of an experienced dentist can be essential in limiting post-surgical risks from becoming severe.
Still, you can get complications such as a wound that takes longer to heal, injury to nerves adjacent to the removed teeth, or alveolar osteitis. Alveolar osteitis is a painful condition characterized by the appearance of a blood clot in the area of the extracted tooth. The blood clot gets dislodged or removed before the wound heals, exposing certain nerves and the jawbone.
Particular health problems can increase your risk of infections after teeth removal. These conditions include heart disease, a poorly functioning immune system, and liver disease.
Caring for the wound after tooth extraction
Keep the location affected by tooth extraction clean and avoid inflaming it. Clean your mouth with a solution that fights off bacteria. A bacterial attack can lead to infection of the site that has benefitted from tooth extraction.
Also, your dentist will require you to avoid brushing the location of a wound for a few days. That is to limit its risk of getting irritated and inflamed. Other areas of your mouth must be brushed and flossed frequently to eliminate food debris, preventing bacteria and plaque.
Your doctor will also prescribe drugs that help relieve pain and prevent potential oral infections. Take prescribed medications or medications from the pharmacy as recommended. Moreover, you will have to get enough rest. Avoid activities that can strain the functioning of your heart and blood vessels, leading to aggravated bleeding.
You can prevent tooth extraction by always caring for your gums and teeth. Regularly brush and floss and visit a dentist for examinations as advised. For instance, immediate oral examinations, especially after a mouth injury, can help save your injured tooth from being extracted.