What To Expect From A Tooth Extraction
When a tooth is infected, or has suffered a serious injury, a crown may not be enough to repair it. To avoid the spread of infection or other complications, we may need to remove the tooth in question. In today’s blog, your Cleveland, TX, dentist talks about what our patients can expect from a tooth extraction.
When We Take A Tooth Out
As we touched on above, a severe infection or case of tooth decay could allow infection to reach other teeth or move into the jaw. When this is beyond treatment with a root canal, we need to take the tooth out completely to protect the rest of the smile. The same goes for teeth too damaged in an injury to be repaired with a crown. Extraction also helps prevent wisdom tooth impaction, which itself could be as a source of misalignment, infection, discomfort, and damaged teeth. If one or more teeth have become loosened by gum disease, we may remove them and treat the underlying oral health issue. We also remove teeth to make room for orthodontic treatment.
The Extraction and Healing Process
The process is a pretty simple one. We first examine your smile to identify sinus cavities and nerve tissues near the tooth. We then administer a dental sedation and local anesthetic to ensure you feel calm and comfortable, with little to no memory of the procedure. Next, we gently remove the tooth with a pair for forceps and then suture the site closed. You will return home with prescriptions for medications to help in the healing process and keep you comfortable. You will rest for the first day or two, and eat soft foods. In a follow-up visit, we will remove the sutures.
Tooth Replacement
There won’t be a need for replacement in cases of wisdom tooth extraction. But otherwise, the extraction could leave behind a gap in your smile. The gap could impact your smile’s appearance and health, and lead to complications. Fortunately, we can fill the gap with a bridge, partial or full denture, or even with advanced dental implants. If you have any questions about how we address missing teeth or remove teeth to preserve your smile, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Restorative Care?
We would like to offer restorative care to improve the function, health, and beauty of your smile. If you would like to learn more about protecting your smile, then schedule a consultation today by contacting Cleveland Family Dentistry in Cleveland, TX, at (281) 592-1234. You can also find our practice at 205 E. Houston St. Cleveland, TX 77327. We have an array of restorative treatment options to restore your smile and help you avoid major complications.