How Does a Dentist Extract Teeth?

The Following Circumstances Can Force Us To Have Our Teeth Extracted

1. Dental Trauma – When an individual suffers a mouth injury, there are many potential ramifications. One of those consequences is tooth and bone damage that can lead to teeth being pulled or lost entirely. 
2. Irreparable Tooth Disease – When a tooth has decayed or is infected with periodontal disease, it can be too damaged to save and will need an extraction. Crown restoration will attempt to fix the damage on the outside of your teeth while root canal procedure fixes any inside problems that are causing decay of nerve tissue in your mouth.
3. Dental Crowding – refers to inconsistency between tooth size and jaw size. This results in a misalignment. Because of this, the patient can always request for a tooth extraction.

Dentists will do everything possible to save a tooth; extraction is only done if the tooth cannot be restored and is causing pain. The procedure in extracting a tooth (or multiple teeth) depends on one’s situation and the patient’s condition. Get your questions answered.

Types of Tooth Removal Procedures

1. A Simple Extraction – In order to extract a tooth, the dentist first loosens it by using an instrument called an elevator. After this step is accomplished they use forceps in order to remove the tooth from its socket and place it on dental instruments that will be put inside your mouth for proper disposal.
2. A Surgical Extraction – It’s easy to imagine the pain of an impacted wisdom tooth or a broken one. To solve these problems, doctors perform what is called surgery. In this procedure, they make four small incisions into your gum and go deep enough so that it can be removed without causing further injury to the surrounding teeth.

The Principles of Tooth Extraction

Step 1: Numbing Your Tooth – A tooth extraction begins with a shot of anaesthetic for the gum and bone tissue surrounding it, as well as the tooth. Each shot normally has these 3 basic steps:

1. Insertion of the needle. This should be painless and if not, the pain will only last for a split second.
2. Placement of the needle. Once the needle is inserted, the dentist will then move the needle to the particular tissue where he needs to inject the anaesthetic. 
3. Depositing of the anaesthetic. After the needle is placed, the anaesthetic solution is released into the tissue.

This entire process aims to numb the tooth and the surrounding areas, which is a completely necessary step before the tooth is removed.

Step 2: Extraction of the Tooth – The tooth is pulled from its socket in the jawbone. A ligament holds the tooth firmly in place in the socket. To remove the tooth, the dentist separates the tooth from the ligament, and then extracts it out of the socket. The medicine conks out the nerve fibres that transmits pain. However, you will still feel the sensation of pressure. There are 3 things you will notice during the extraction of the tooth:

1. No Pain. Anesthesiologists have been using something called “pain transmitters” for decades to help patients feel less pain during dental procedures. However, modern technology has improved on this process significantly over the years and now there are three types of injectable drugs that can be used: local anaesthetic agents, sedatives or a combination thereof. If you’re not feeling any discomfort after a procedure it most likely means that your tooth wasn’t given enough anesthetics to numb it fully- tell your dentist immediately so they know to up their dosage!
2. Pressure. There are many sensations that you feel during an extraction procedure. One of them is pressure, which can be felt as the tooth rocks back and forth from anaesthesia taking effect or if it needs to re-opened because something has shifted while being worked on in there.
3. Startling Noises. If you hear any noise at all, it may be a minor snap or creaking sound during the tooth extraction. This may come from the tooth and the socket. This is perfectly normal.

Step 3: Closing the Space – Removing your tooth via an extraction will leave the socket open. These are the steps for the dentist to close the socket:

• Remove any tissue by scraping the walls of the socket. The dentist will also compress the socket using his finger to bring back its size. 
• The dentist will also round off any sharp bone edges, while also evaluating the socket for any complications.
• Next, the dentist will wash out the socket to rinse it of tooth fragment or loose bone.
• Then gauze will be applied to stop the bleeding in the socket.
• Lastly, expect the dentist to stitch up the extraction site in case of a surgical tooth extraction.

Step 4: Controlling the Bleeding – The dentist places the folded gauze over your now toothless mouth and asks you to bite down on it with all of your might. You will need to do this for about an hour in order control any bleeding that may occur after extraction.

Step 5: Minimizing the Swelling – Post-operative swelling is expected so the dentist will provide you with an ice pack that you will put against your face for 20-minutes on and 20-minutes off.

Step 6: Post Extraction Care – With your infected tooth now removed, you’ll need time to recover. This recovery time usually takes a few days and during this time it is important that you reduce the risk of infection, minimize discomfort, and rest to help speed up your recovery. Specifically, you will need to:

• Bite gently but firmly on the gauze pad to let a clot form in the tooth socket. Be sure to change gauze pads before they are soaked in blood.
• Take your prescription painkillers as prescribed.
• Relax for at least 24 hours after the extraction.
• During this initial 24 hours, do no rinse your mouth or spit forcefully, as this may dislodge the clot formed in the socket.
• Avoid drinking from a straw for 24 hours.
• Avoid smoking for 3-5 days, as this can inhibit your healing.
• Eat soft foods the day after the extraction and even for the first 3 to 5 days.
• Rinse your mouth the following day (after 24 hours) with a solution of warm water and 1/2 a teaspoonful of salt.
• Prop your head up with a pillow while laying down so you don’t prolong the bleeding. 
• Be sure to avoid the extraction site when you brush and floss for at least a week.

When to Call Our Dean Street Dental Dentist

Dental extractions are often necessary, and while a small amount of pain is normal after the procedure has finished there may be some instances where you need to see your dentist. See more.

The recovery period for getting any tooth removed can vary from person-to-person depending on how well they heal or if an infection sets in. The most common side effects following dental extraction include feeling soreness near the site of surgery which usually fades with time but sometimes require medical attention like antibiotics; swelling around that area called edema which is also not harmful unless it persists more than 48 hours; bleeding caused by biting down too hard during eating such as grapefruit juice due to acidity will cause irritation within 24 hours because cuts break open again when wet foods touch them.

Once the anaesthesia wears off, you will normally feel some pain. It is also normal to experience swelling within 24 hours after the extraction. However, if any of these symptoms persist past that time frame or worsen in severity at all then please contact your dentist immediately:

• no feeling or opening mouth with tongue
• tongue paralysis
• sore throat and fever
• swollen glands
• severe headache-nausea/vomiting

A good dentist extracts teeth in the least invasive way possible, but it is definitely a procedure that is not fun. But at Dean Street Dental, your tooth extraction will go so smoothly you won’t even know when it’s done. You can find more information on our profile at find a dentist near me.

Note: You can avoid tooth extraction altogether if you properly maintain your oral hygiene and visit your dentist at Dean Street Dental at least twice per year. This can help you relieve your pain and improve your oral hygiene without having to worry about a tooth extraction.