Why would I need a tooth extraction?
Adult teeth were not meant to be pulled, but when a tooth has been seriously damaged due to decay or trauma, it’s imperative to have it removed quickly. There are several reasons why you may need a tooth extraction, such as:
A crowded mouth
Orthodontic procedures require your teeth to be prepped for perfect alignment. However, your teeth can’t properly align if you have too many to fit inside your mouth. Should you have extra teeth, they must be extracted before an orthodontic procedure. Likewise, you may have permanent teeth that can’t break through the gums simply because there isn’t enough room to do so. In that case, Dr. Mital Patel may recommend that those extra teeth be removed.
Tooth decay
Keeping a severely decayed tooth in your mouth causes pain and discomfort, but it also raises your risk of infection. If your tooth decay penetrates your tooth pulp, which contains nerves and blood vessels, most dentists will recommend a root canal to remove the infected pulp. If the infection is so severe that antibiotics can’t alleviate the infection, a tooth extraction is your best option to keep the infection from spreading.
A compromised immune system
If you have an autoimmune disease or have recently undergone chemotherapy or an organ transplant, you likely have a compromised immune system. This means your immune system will struggle to fight a tooth infection should you develop one. In most cases, dentists will extract a decayed tooth immediately if it poses a risk to a compromised immune system.
What can I expect from a tooth extraction?
Once you and Dr. Patel decide that a tooth extraction is necessary, he will give you a local anesthetic injection to numb your pain and discomfort throughout the procedure. A normal tooth extraction is a relatively quick and painless procedure, but Dr. Patel may have to cut away gum and bone tissue to reach the tooth if it is impacted. Deeply impacted teeth often need to be removed in pieces.
When your tooth has been pulled, a blood clot in the socket will form, so Dr. Patel will place gauze in the open space and ask you to bite down to staunch the blood. If your tooth was impacted and required the gums and bone tissue to be cut open, you may need a few stitches.
Following the procedure, you may take painkillers as advised and stick to soft foods until the pain and inflammation subside. Call Chandler Dental Arts or book an appointment online today to learn more about the tooth extraction process.
