Do you notice any pain in your teeth? Perhaps eating some of your favourite foods feels sensitive, and you've started to use one side of your teeth instead of all of them. Noting the signs and symptoms of infection or damage to teeth and gums is the first step in getting help. While not every painful tooth requires extraction, getting a professional opinion can make a massive difference in restoring your smile and oral health! At Be Well Dental, we are here to relieve oral pain and discomfort, even in the case of tooth extraction.
What Is a Tooth Extraction Procedure?
A tooth extraction procedure involves the careful removal of a compromised tooth. When a dentist has no other options to save a tooth or the surrounding teeth or gums with other treatments, an extraction can relieve pain, pressure, and other unwanted symptoms. Our professional staff at Be Well Dental may recommend a tooth extraction procedure in the following situations:
- Large cavities or serious tooth decay leading to infection
- Fractured teeth
- Impacted teeth (common with wisdom teeth)
- Crowding
- Periodontitis (gum disease)
- Dental injury caused by trauma
We generally perform an exam during an initial consultation to assess a patient's dental situation fully. After understanding your general health, along with medications and lifestyle habits and how they may relate to your dental health, we will perform a dental examination. This will involve a visual assessment of your mouth, we may take dental x-rays and use other diagnostic aids to correctly determine the cause of the problem.
Does a Tooth Extraction Procedure Hurt?
Patients may feel apprehensive about an extraction procedure, even while they experience chronic pain from a damaged tooth. Fortunately, modern dentistry allows us to safely and painlessly extract teeth thanks to numbing agents and anaesthetics. Depending on the type of extraction, dentists also rely on several sedation options to painlessly remove teeth.
The difference at Be Well Dental is that we take the time to understand you. We do things with you, and not to you. Even self-professed anxious patients proceed with the dental procedures without any sedative aids like nitrous gas or oral sedation. This sometimes has profound effects on the patient's self-confidence and experience with dentistry in the future. The key is to the right plan together.
Tooth Extraction, Step by Step
Patients can generally expect the following during a tooth extraction procedure:
- Application of a numbing agent (and sedation if required) and isolation of tooth or teeth requiring extraction
- Expand the tooth's socket to loosen the ligaments holding the tooth in place
- Further loosening of the tooth with a specific dental instrument called an elevator.
- A dentist then removes the tooth with forceps.
What Can Patients Expect Post-Procedure?
Like many procedures affecting dentistry and overall health, undergoing a successful healing process couldn't be more crucial! After removal, gauze over the tooth socket and gentle pressure can aid in the formation of blood clots, which will help patients heal and get back to chewing and speaking normally. At Be Well Dental, we work with our patients before, during and after any procedure to ensure favourable and healthy outcomes. If you've recently undergone a tooth extraction procedure, our team will be in touch the next day to check in on you and answer questions that you may have about the healing process, don't hesitate to get in touch with our dental clinic at (07) 3846 2002.
Tooth Extractions in Highgate Hill, QLD
Our patients and their smiles matter! Tooth extractions can open the door for significant improvements in oral health and your overall smile. Whether you need a wisdom tooth extraction or suffer from a damaged tooth, our team is here to help. Patients can experience a variety of positive benefits post-procedure that include:
- Less crowding from erupting wisdom teeth
- Relief from pressure and pain
- Removal of infection from the mouth
- Painless chewing
- Restored speaking ability
Patients can look into highly effective tooth-replacement options that get their oral health back on track post-extraction. In many cases, a tooth extraction procedure is the first step toward restoring a bright, vibrant smile!
Tips on Avoiding Tooth Extractions
Whilst patients cannot avoid tooth extractions in some cases (such as wisdom teeth or dental trauma), we can provide a few valuable tips on preventing infection in the teeth and gums and ultimately lower the risk for a tooth extraction.
- Brush, floss and use mouthwash daily
- Schedule regular check-up appointments and cleanings with your dentist
- Fluoride treatments with your dentist
- Avoid eating foods detrimental to oral health
- In some instances, a root canal treatment may save an infected tooth
- Fillings to treat cavities
Contact Our Dental Clinic in Highgate Hill, QLD
So, if you think that one of your teeth may need to go, we are here to help! We invite new and existing patients to contact our team of dental professionals for an initial consultation. With an examination, we can easily decide the best course of action to restore oral health. Patients can reach us by calling (07) 3846 2002 or booking online.