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 Metro Detroit family dentists will use every measure to save your smile, it is still sometimes necessary to move forward with removing 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
• Misaligned teeth
• Fractured teeth or roots
• Impacted teeth

After careful examination and treatment, we may advise you to undergo tooth extraction. Before the procedure, however, we’ll take X-rays in order to first understand the shape and position of the tooth and surrounding bone. Based on the degree of difficulty, we may refer you to a trusted oral surgeon.

For a simple tooth 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 your teeth directly next to the extraction site.

A certain amount of pain and discomfort is to be expected following tooth removal, 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 our local family dentists immediately if you experience prolonged or severe pain, swelling, bleeding, or fever.

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