When infections occur in the mouth, tooth extraction sometimes becomes necessary to save the rest of your teeth and prevent further problems. Whether it’s a tooth damaged by gum disease or an infection caused by wisdom teeth crowding, tooth extraction is a common procedure and nothing to worry about. With proper dental care, your mouth should heal quickly.
Why Might You Need a Tooth Extraction?
The main reasons for tooth extraction are that a tooth is so diseased or crowded that no other options are viable for addressing the situation. If a tooth can be saved, you can get a root canal and a crown, but this isn’t always possible. Some teeth may experience further infection if they aren’t removed, so it’s better to pull the tooth and let the space heal.
Why Do Wisdom Teeth Sometimes Need to Be Removed?
When wisdom teeth don’t come in straight, they can create pressure on the rest of your teeth. If left untreated, this can push those teeth out of alignment, cause pain and infection and lead to abscesses in your mouth. Most people don’t need their wisdom teeth, so if they’re causing problems, it’s usually better to extract them to avoid problems.
What Is the Tooth Extraction Process Like?
If you have a tooth that’s a candidate for extraction, your dentist will examine it to determine its damage and your options. Once it’s decided that extraction is the best option, the dentist will administer a local anesthetic and gently remove the infected tooth from its socket. In most cases, you should feel immediate pain relief without the infected tooth.
Once the tooth is removed, the dentist cleans the area and places gauze over the spot where the tooth was. This is done to slow the bleeding and promote healing, and you can remove the gauze once the bleeding has slowed.
How Long Does It Take to Heal After Having Teeth Extracted?
In most cases, healing takes about 48-72 hours following your tooth extraction. However, if you’re looking to get dental implants to replace your tooth, you may have a longer wait before that’s possible. Most patients can resume normal activities within 3 days, but the jawbone takes around 2-3 months to fully heal.
If you don’t need implants, you don’t have to worry much about your jawbone healing. Your main concern is laying low immediately after the extraction. Exercise can increase bleeding in your mouth, so you should skip the gym for a couple of days.
How Long Do You Need to Eat Soft Foods After Teeth Extraction?
In most cases, you need to avoid crunchy foods for a few days to a week. Eat softer things, such as pasta, eggs, bread and yogurt, until your mouth has had time to heal.
What to Expect After Extraction
The main things to expect are rest, medication and careful dental care. You need to rinse the affected area multiple times a day to keep out bacteria and take all medication recommended by your dentist.
How to Make an Appointment
If you have a problem tooth, we’re just a call away! Call 580-297-4084 to schedule a dental consultation or book an appointment online for tooth extractions or any of our dental services.