Although it’s never ideal to lose a tooth, sometimes it’s necessary to protect your oral health. Some patients have teeth that become impacted, meaning the other teeth begin to shift to try to accommodate the extra space. This can affect your entire mouth bite and cause discomfort and pain when eating or talking. In some cases, an extraction can also prevent the crowding of your other teeth and improve your smile's appearance. When teeth are severely damaged due to cavities or trauma, a patient may be referred to an oral surgeon for extraction. Be sure to limit your physical activity for a few days and stick to a diet of soft foods until your gums have healed properly. At Allouez Family Dental, our dentist may prescribe antibiotics or pain medication to help you manage pain after the operation.

The Reasons for an Extraction

Tooth Decay

When tooth decay destroys enough of your tooth, the damaged tooth needs to be extracted so that you don’t develop more infections or abscesses in the future.

Impacted Wisdom Teeth

Wisdom teeth often grow improperly, irritating surrounding gum tissue and damaging other teeth. If the impacted wisdom tooth endangers the surrounding teeth, it must be removed as soon as possible to prevent the tooth from moving and causing additional damage.

Orthodontic Treatment

You may sometimes need a tooth extracted due to orthodontic treatment. This is most common with patients who have overcrowding issues. A dentist will recommend removing certain teeth to make space to align your remaining teeth properly.

Infection

If you have a severe oral infection that threatens the health of the rest of your mouth, you will need to remove the infected tooth to avoid spreading the disease to other areas of your mouth. An infected tooth can eventually cause severe health problems if not treated promptly and correctly.

The Procedure for Dental Extraction

The dentist will first numb the area with a local anesthetic. After the tooth has been adequately prepared, the dentist will use an elevator tool to loosen and extract the tooth from the socket. Finally, the gum is sutured closed to allow for proper healing.

Your dentist may also apply a periodontal pack to help stop the bleeding and promote faster healing. You can expect the extraction site to be tender for the first few days after the tooth extraction, so it’s best to stick to soft foods and avoid smoking until the area has healed completely. It’s normal to experience some discomfort after oral surgery, but you should be able to resume your normal activities within a couple of days following the procedure.

After tooth extraction, your dentist will offer you specific instructions for home care. For more information, visit Allouez Family Dental at 2805 Libal Street, Suite C, Green Bay, WI 54301, or call (920) 339-8980.