Protecting Your Smile With Tooth Extraction
When a tooth becomes severely decayed or infected, or you have wisdom teeth threatening to erupt, we could protect your smile from serious complications using a tooth extraction. In today’s blog, your Cleveland, TX, dentist talks about how we safeguard smiles with a safe and gentle tooth removal, and what the procedure involves.
When Smiles Need Extraction
A tooth extraction means we gently remove the tooth from your smile. We could recommend this procedure when you have a tooth so decayed or infected that treatment isn’t possible, or for a tooth too broken to be repaired with a crown. Removal is also necessary for teeth that prevent orthodontic treatment, or baby teeth that have not fallen out or erupted properly. We also take our teeth loosened by gum disease. The most common reason is to prevent wisdom tooth impaction, removing these molars that erupt in the area of your mouth in your late teens or early 20s. There could be up to four, and they could cause major changes to your smile’s alignment, health, and function.
A Safe and Gentle Tooth Removal
First, we will take digital x-rays to identify the position of the teeth, as well as nerve tissues and sinus cavities. We then plan the procedure and administer a local numbing agent to the portion of your smile where the extraction will take place. We also have sedation, which helps you enter a calm and relaxed state with little to no memory of the procedure at all. We then gently remove the tooth with a pair of forceps, and suture the area closed. Since sedation takes time to wear off, a friend or family member will need to bring you home. For some, the entire process takes as little as 30 minutes.
What Happens Next?
At home, you will need to take any medications we prescribed as instructed, and for the first day avoid solid foods, prodding the extraction site with your tongue, and straw use. Rest and avoid activity so your body can heal. In a follow-up visit, we can remove any sutures and make sure the area is healing as it should. While in most cases the tooth won’t need to be replaced, if you lose one to decay or injury we could recommend a bridge or possibly even a dental implant to fill the gap in your smile.
Do You Have Questions About Restorative Dentistry?
The use of oral surgery and restorative care could protect the health, beauty, and stability of your smile. If you have any questions about gently removing a tooth from your smile, or if you would like to schedule a consultation today, please contact Cleveland Family Dentistry in Cleveland, TX, at (281) 592-1234. You can also find our practice at 205 E. Houston St. Cleveland, TX 77327.