Tooth Extractions – McKinney, TX
Protect Your Grin by Removing Troublesome Teeth
Our team at Oakbrook Dental & Orthodontics does everything we can to preserve your natural teeth and gums to safeguard your dental health. However, if you have an ache or infection in a tooth that’s too decayed or injured to be effectively repaired, we might recommend an extraction. Although it’s usually preferable to prevent problems to keep your smile happy and healthy, sometimes we must protect your grin by removing troublesome teeth.
Continue reading to learn more about why we might recommend an extraction, and feel free to contact us with any questions.
Reasons Why Tooth Extractions Are Necessary
It’s often in your best interests to preserve the teeth you were born with, but if it’s putting the rest of your oral health at risk, it may be best to remove the problem at its source. You might need to have a tooth extracted if:
- The structure of your tooth is too compromised to be filled or treated with a root canal or dental crown.
- Your teeth are too overcrowded for orthodontics to fit appropriately.
- You have remaining teeth that are in the way of a complete restoration like dentures.
- You have an impacted or partially erupted wisdom tooth.
- Your child’s tooth won’t fall out on its own to make space for a permanent one to grow.
The Process of Removing a Tooth
If you’re anxious that having your extraction will hurt, we’re here to set your mind at ease! Before we begin, we’ll apply a local anesthetic to your problematic tooth to numb the area. We can also provide sedatives for overly anxious patients to help you feel calm and relaxed throughout the procedure.
To remove an easily accessible tooth that’s not infected, we use a device called an ‘elevator’ to gently lift your tooth from the socket. Then, we grasp it with forceps and gently wiggle it free from your connective tissues.
More complex cases like impacted wisdom teeth often require a surgical extraction. This involves creating a small incision in your gums to access the tooth, which may need to be broken into smaller sections to be removed.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare
Once we have successfully erradicated your tooth, it’s imperative that a blood clot forms over the site to avoid a potentially painful complication called dry socket. Many post-op instructions aim to preserve this blood clot to expedite your healing.
Common directions shared after an extraction include:
- Take any prescription medications, like pain meds or antibiotics, exactly as directed.
- Rinse with warm salt water to gently disinfect your mouth in the first 24 hours. After that, it’s usually safe to resume brushing but be careful around the surgical site.
- Don’t smoke. The suction of pulling on a vape or cigarette can dislodge your blood clot. Plus, nicotine can suppress your immune system, so you’re more prone to infection and disease.
- Drink plenty of water directly from a cup because sucking on a straw can harm your blood clot.
- Avoid strenuous activities or exercises that elevate your heart rate or blood pressure to reduce swelling and inflammation.
- Prop your head up to sleep without additional blood pooling at the extraction site.
Tooth Extractions FAQs
Does Getting a Tooth Extracted Hurt?
Almost unanimously, patients ask us, “Will it hurt?” when they find out that they need to have a tooth removed. If this is a primary concern of yours as well, don’t worry – your mouth will be completely numb for the procedure. Even afterward (when you return home), we will provide you with aftercare instructions, like taking OTC pain medication as directed, to ensure the recovery period isn’t unpleasant either. In other words, you don’t have to stress; we go above and beyond to ensure the entire treatment process is as smooth, comfortable, and pain-free as possible.
What’s the Recovery for Tooth Extractions Like?
As we mentioned above, we will give you a list of aftercare instructions to ensure the recovery period isn’t painful or uncomfortable in any way. A few examples include not doing anything strenuous, like lifting weights, keeping your head elevated while you sleep, taking OTC pain medication as directed, and eating only soft foods. Around the 3-day mark, you should start feeling significantly better, and your symptoms should continue to subside as time goes on. If that’s not the case (or your symptoms seem to be getting worse), then you should call our McKinney dental team ASAP.
What Are My Options for Replacing a Missing Tooth?
If your tooth was removed to address overcrowding or because it was a baby tooth that refused to fall out, then we won’t replace it. Of course, if your tooth was extracted because it was badly damaged or decayed, then we will replace it with the next best thing: a dental bridge or a dental implant. Both of these tooth-replacement solutions are custom-made from only the best materials, but the latter offers a unique benefit: it replaces both the root and crown of the missing tooth. If you are interested in learning more about either of these treatment options, then take the next step: schedule a consultation with us so we can learn all about your unique dental history, needs, and goals.
How Should I Prepare for My Tooth Extraction?
Prior to your appointment, you should stock up on everything you need – from OTC pain medication and cold compresses to soft foods. If you’re being sedated, it’s also crucial that you arrange for someone you know and trust to drive you to and from your appointment. Outside of that, make sure to avoid alcohol and tobacco products entirely, don’t eat anything unless instructed, and choose something comfortable to wear the morning of.
Is There Anything I Shouldn’t Eat After a Tooth Extraction?
Yes, you shouldn’t eat anything that requires extensive chewing, like hard pretzels, almonds, apples, celery, or peanut brittle. Instead, you should stick to a liquid diet immediately following your procedure. As you begin to heal, you can eat mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, vegetable soup, plain yogurt, and other softer foods. Around the 5-day mark, you can begin to resume your usual diet (as long as you are healing well, of course).