Reasons for Dental Extraction
Our permanent teeth are supposed to last us a lifetime. However, there are some reasons why you need a tooth to be extracted. A common reason may be a decayed tooth that is damaged beyond repair. Other reasons may include the following:
- When your teeth need to be aligned, there may be a reason for a tooth extraction. This is because there are times that a mouth can be crowded and some teeth are too big for your mouth. There are some teeth that have not totally erupted, requiring them to be pulled out.
- The tooth contains nerves and blood vessels right at the centre. Bacteria sometimes enter the mouth and goes to infect the pulp. This can be repaired with a root canal procedure. However, if the infection is too extensive, your dentist may recommend extraction.
- Immunocompromised people such as those who are undergoing chemo and radiation therapy are more prone to infection even on the tooth. If a tooth is believed to cause infection, it may warrant an extraction.
What Should You Expect During a Tooth Extraction
Your dentist is trained to extract a tooth. Before extraction, you will be injected with a local anesthetic in order to numb the area where your tooth will be extracted. A stronger anesthesia will be used if you have an impacted tooth or if you are going to have more than one tooth removed.
Impacted Tooth Extraction
This is a more complicated procedure. The dentist will have to cut the bone tissue and gums that are covering your impacted tooth. He will then grip your tooth with forceps and will loosen it from the jaw bone and the ligaments that are attached to it. When a tooth is hard to remove, it will be removed part by part. Your dentist may let you bite on gauze to stop the bleeding or stitch the area. The stitches dissolve over time.
Post Dental Extraction
Follow the instructions of your dentist to prevent infection and reduce recovery time.