Tooth Extractions
Good oral hygiene should always be practiced since the loss of a single tooth can have a major impact on your oral health and appearance. Although our Shelby Township dentists will use every measure to prevent tooth loss, it is still sometimes necessary to extract a tooth.
Here’s what you need to know about tooth extractions.
A tooth may need to be extracted in the case of:
- Severe decay
- Advanced periodontal disease
- Infection or abscess
- Orthodontic correction
- Mal-positioned teeth
- Fractured teeth or roots
- Impacted teeth
After careful examination and treatment, we may advise you to have a tooth extracted. Before a tooth is removed, we’ll take X-rays in order to understand the shape and position of the tooth and surrounding bone. Based on the degree of difficulty, we may refer you to a specialist called an oral surgeon.
For a simple extraction, we will first use a local anesthetic to prevent pain and discomfort. The tooth will be loosened with a tool called an elevator and then removed with dental forceps. Once the procedure is complete, the area may be closed with one or two stitches.
It is critical to keep the extraction area clean to prevent infection. We will provide you with dry, sterile gauze to bite down on for 30-45 minutes to limit bleeding while clotting takes place. For the next 24 hours, you shouldn’t smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously, or brush the teeth directly next to the extraction site.
A certain amount of pain and discomfort is to be expected following an extraction, which can be minimized with a pain reliever and ice packs applied to the face for 15 minutes at a time. After a routine extraction, discomfort should lessen within three days to two weeks. Contact us immediately if you experience prolonged or severe pain, swelling, bleeding, or fever.
Learn More About Tooth Extractions
Please call our office as soon as possible if you’re experiencing any dental pain or discomfort. The longer you wait to seek emergency dental care, the more likely we’ll need to extract a tooth to protect your overall oral health. To request an appointment with one of our Shelby Township dentists, call Frank P. Ruffino DDS at (586) 799-4240.
