Tooth Extraction
Put Your Family’s Dental Health Into the Care of a Respected Dentist
We do everything to save your natural tooth, but there are cases where pulling a potentially harmful tooth can save you time, money and discomfort. For example, a tooth with significant tooth decay or trauma that cannot be treated by a root canal is a good candidate for extraction.
If you need treatment, don’t wait!
Reasons We May Recommend
Tooth Extraction
- A tooth threatening the position of other healthy teeth or contributing to overcrowding in the mouth
- A Broken Tooth
- Infected teeth caused by weak immune system from taking cancer drugs
- Periodontal (Gum) Disease
- Wisdom teeth need to be removed if they are decayed, cause pain or have a cyst or infection.
- Extra teeth that block other teeth from coming in
- Baby teeth that don’t fall out in time to allow the permanent teeth to come in
- Patients considering braces may need teeth extracted to create room for the teeth that are being moved into place
- People under going radiation therapy to the head and neck may need to have teeth in the field of radiation extracted
Tooth extractions are virtually painless at our Buford Dental Office. In addition to local anesthesia, we offer oral sedation so that you can relax through your entire visit!
Tooth extraction process at our Buford Dental Office
Please get in touch with us first thing in the morning if you develop a cold within a week of the surgery or if you have nausea and vomiting the night before the procedure. The procedure may have to be rescheduled, or a change in the scheduled anesthesia may be required. On the day before your procedure, avoid smoking. This can increase the threat of a painful problem called dry socket!
- Preparation – We will take an X-ray of the area to help plan the safest way to remove the tooth. We may prescribe antibiotics to be taken before and after surgery if you have an infection or a specific medical condition.
- Pain & anxiety Management – You’ll get local anesthesia to numb the tooth, jawbone, and surrounding gums. If you’re very worried about the procedure, nitrous oxide (laughing gas) or other drugs are available to help you relax.
- For teeth seen in the mouth, the dentist will loosen the tooth by rocking it back and forth and then rotating it to widen the socket for easier extraction. You shouldn’t feel any pain since your tooth and surrounding area is numbed; however, you may feel dull pressure. The tooth will be removed once fully detached, and the exposed gum will be covered with gauze. Most simple tooth extraction procedures only take a few minutes to complete.
- A surgical extraction procedure is required for teeth not seen in the mouth or broken off at the gum line. A small incision (cut) is made to the gum, and some of the bone around the tooth may be removed or cut in half to extract it. We commonly refer you to an oral surgeon for more complex surgical extractions.
Post Op Instructions
We will give you thorough instructions on what to do and what to expect after your surgery. In one to two weeks, with proper dental care, your mouth should begin to feel normal again. You can anticipate some mild discomfort after simple tooth extraction. Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil, Motrin and others can significantly decrease pain after tooth extraction. Take the dose recommended by your doctor, usually 3 to 4 times a day for 2 to 3 days. Our Buford Dentist may prescribe painkillers for surgical extractions for a few days before prescribing an NSAID like Advil or Motrin.
- Take antibiotics or pain relievers if necessary.
- Bite gently on the gauze for 30 minutes to an hour after extraction to allow the blood to clot. Don’t disrupt the clot that forms on the extraction site. You may experience slight bleeding for the next 24 hours, which should fade off after that.
- If you experience swelling, put on ice packs 20 minutes at a time (on for 20 minutes, off for 20 minutes) to the jaw area. Warm compresses can be used if your mouth is sore and tight after the swelling goes away. Most swelling will disappear within a day or two after the surgery.
- Keep on brushing, but avoid the area surrounding the extraction.
- Gently rinse your mouth with warm salt water will help keep the area clean. Add half a teaspoon of salt to one cup of water.
- Avoid smoking for 24 to 72 hours after surgery.
- Stay away from certain foods and exhausting activities for the first few days.
- Reframe from spitting or rinsing forcefully for 24 hours after the extraction to prevent dislodging the clot that forms in the socket.
- Avoid sipping from a straw for the first 24 hours.
Possible Complications of Tooth Extraction
- About 3% to 4% of all extractions risk developing dry sockets where the underlying bone is exposed to air and food. If you start to experience throbbing pain in the extraction site, bad order, or taste 3-4 days after surgery, contact our Buford Dental Office immediately. Dry socket risks are higher for smokers, women who take birth control pills, and after complicated extractions. A dry socket is treated with a medicated dressing to stop the pain and help the area to heal.
- Infection can set in after extraction for people with the weak immune system.
- Soreness in the jaw makes it difficult to open your mouth wide.
- Although very rare, long-lasting numbness in the lower lip and chin can occur, which is caused by injury to the nerve in your lower jaw. Complete recovery could require three to six months. In rare cases, the numbness may be long-lasting.
- Due to the pressure exerted on the jaw during extraction, older individuals with osteoporosis (jaw bone thinning) may sustain a cracked jaw.
Please Contact US immediately if any of the following occur: Extreme bleeding or discomfort greater than four hours following tooth extraction, fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, or chest pain.
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