How to Take Care after a Tooth Extraction Surgery?

For many reasons, your dentist may find teeth extractions as a necessary treatment in your case. For example, if your tooth has been deeply affected by decay or infection; is beyond the restoration point, then a tooth extraction can help prevent further complications. Similarly, dentists recommend wisdom tooth extractions to prevent impacted teeth or overcrowding in your mouth. While teeth extractions are standard dental treatments, they can be daunting for the patient, and at times, complicated too. To help the patient recover fast and nicely, the dentist will provide tooth extractions aftercare instructions, which the patient must adhere to strictly for their benefit.

Here are a few things you will have to do to aid the healing process:

To control bleeding, firmly bite on the gauze placed by your dentist on the extraction site. This helps in the formation of the blood clot in the tooth socket. If you are bleeding a lot, and are unable to minimize it, contact or visit your dentist. On other hand, it is normal to experience slight oozing of blood on the first day.
Your dentist will prescribe medicine for managing the pain following the process of tooth extraction. You should take this medicine as prescribed. Do not drive or handle machinery as this medicine may make you drowsy.
Swelling on the extraction site or bruising on the face is common with tooth extractions. You can remedy this with an ice pack. Place ice in a plastic bag or a thin towel and apply it to the cheek near the extraction site for 10 minutes. Then remove for 5 minutes and repeat as needed. You can also ask your dentist about this method.
Eat a soft diet and drink plenty of fluids. Avoid foods and drinks of extreme temperatures. Do not smoke and limit your alcohol intake. Moreover, do not use a straw for drinking as this action may dislodge the blood clot.
You should continue to brush your teeth but do so gently. Do not use toothpaste as the action of rinsing it out may dislodge the blood clot.
Ask your dentist about how to keep the tooth extraction site clean, and when to resume a normal oral routine.

Before sending you home after completing the process of the treatment, your dentist will provide you with a list of do’s and don’ts, along with other instructions.

It is important to follow all the advice. If you experience any discomfort that seems unusual or you are confused about what to do, it is recommended to contact your dentist. Furthermore, do not miss any follow-up appointments as scheduled by your dentist.

Why is Tooth Extraction Required?

Although it is seen that most teenagers and some adults have their wisdom teeth extracted several other reasons make tooth extraction necessary.

Severe dental decay, an infection, or crowding may necessitate the removal of a tooth. For some persons with braces, one or two teeth may need to be extracted to provide a place for the other teeth as they realign. Furthermore, in patients enduring chemotherapy or awaiting an organ transplant, compromised teeth may need to be removed to protect oral health.

Under local, general, intravenous, or a mix of anesthesia, a dentist or oral surgeon can remove a tooth in a reasonably short outpatient procedure. The removal of teeth that are visible usually involves simple extractions. When a tooth is impacted, subsurface, or cracked, it requires a more involved surgical procedure.

Are Tooth Extractions Painful?

Gum disease and serious infections are two conditions that might make you lose teeth and make your mouth hurt and swell more. Impacted wisdom teeth and broken teeth are other painful conditions. By removing the problematic tooth and, in some cases, prescribing a course of antibiotics, your dentist tries to address the underlying problem that is causing the suffering.

Our dentist will initially numb the surrounding area with a local anesthetic to ensure that you don’t feel any discomfort throughout the tooth extraction. It is normal to feel the pressure of the tooth being operated on during the treatment, even though the anesthetic should prevent you from feeling anything. Once any tainted material has been removed, the pain should end.

What are the Complications of Tooth Extraction?

Even though it has certain complications, if your dentist recommends treatment, the advantages will probably outweigh any minor drawbacks.

After a tooth is extracted, blood typically clots fast in the socket in the bone where the tooth formerly was. However, when bone can be seen inside the socket, it is referred to as a dry socket because the blood clot either failed to form or became free. In these circumstances, our dentist will apply a sedative to the region to protect it for a few days. A fresh clot will form throughout this period.

Dental Treatment in Seattle

Sue Vetter offers a wide range of dental services in Seattle, including affordable tooth extractions and any emergency dental treatment. We assure you of comfort, hygiene, quality, and complete care before and after your teeth extractions and other dental treatments.

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