Extractions in Sanger, TX
If a dentist needs to pull a tooth, it’s usually because the tooth is so badly decayed or injured that it’s not salvageable. Fortunately, the dentist has access to sedation methods that can make the process as pain-free as possible. If you are planning to get an extraction, here is what you can expect.
Numbing the Area
After you arrive at our facility, our staff at The Sanger Dentist will get you checked in and comfortably situated in the dental chair when it’s time for your appointment. Our dentist will examine your tooth to make sure there haven’t been any changes since your last routine visit.
Then, the dentist will inject the area around the tooth with a local anesthetic to numb the tooth, jawbone, and soft tissue surrounding it. It only takes a few minutes for the anesthetic to start working, so the dentist may leave the room for about 10 minutes to let it take effect.
Loosening the Tooth
The dentist will test the tooth to make sure it’ s numb before starting to loosen it. Since the root of a tooth sits in bone, along with the gum, it will need loosening by widening the tooth’s socket. It takes a few moments for the tooth to be ready to pull out. Usually, the tooth will come out in one piece. However, if it’s badly decayed, then it could break, forcing the dentist to take more time extracting all of it.
Packing the Tooth
The final step in the extraction is to pack the empty socket with gauze and a gel that keeps it numb. Your dentist will provide care instructions for the socket, like when you can eat or drink something, and how to keep the socket from drying out.
A dry socket can be painful, but the dentist will tell you how to avoid it. If you carefully follow the instructions, the socket should heal nicely.
FAQ's
Extraction may be the best option when a tooth is extensively damaged, severely infected, impacted, or cannot be successfully restored. Your dentist will always consider conservative treatments before recommending removal whenever possible.
Initial healing usually occurs within a few days, although the extraction site may continue healing for several weeks. Recovery time depends on the type of extraction and how closely post-operative instructions are followed.
Choose soft, easy-to-chew foods such as yogurt, mashed potatoes, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, and smoothies during the first few days. Avoid crunchy, spicy, or extremely hot foods until the area has had time to heal.
Protect the blood clot by avoiding smoking, straws, forceful rinsing, and vigorous spitting after your extraction. Following your dentist's post-operative instructions carefully helps reduce the likelihood of developing dry socket.
Many people resume normal activities within a day or two after a routine extraction. Surgical procedures or more complicated extractions may require additional recovery time before returning to work or other daily responsibilities.