| EXTRACTIONS (PULLING A TOOTH) |
Do teeth that are abscessed need to be pulled?
No, not always. In fact, it is preferable to save the tooth, if at all possible. Your
mouth has already adjusted itself to all the teeth that are existing. If you
remove a tooth, then your bite may change, your teeth may eventually move
out of place, "food traps" (spaces where food may get stuck) may develop and
cause more cavities to form. It is alway best to save your teeth, if you can.
Besides, if you replace the missing space(s) with partials, implants,
dentures, or any other "prostheses", they will never have the same great
properties as your real teeth.
If teeth are abscessed, the most likely best option for saving the tooth is to do
a root canal.
Do extractions hurt? What will I feel when I get my tooth pulled?
They shouldn't hurt at all, since they'll be numbed before the treatment.
Sometimes, with abscessed teeth, it may be a little more difficult to numb the
tooth.
When the treatment begins, you will most likely feel pressures, but not pain.
The anesthesia that numbs the tooth cannot get rid of the pressure
sensations, but will certainly remove the pain.
How long does it take for the bone to grow back after I get my tooth pulled?
It varies how long healing will take, but healing of the bone can take a while.
The bone, itself, can take from 6 to 8 months to completely heal. The gums
will heal over in about 3 to 4 weeks and the initial healing of the area takes
about 1 to 2 weeks.
The bone in the area may or may not completely fill in. You may have a slight
dip in the bone around the area of the extraction.
What should or shouldn't I do after getting an extraction?
Pain? Some pain from the tooth may last a couple of days or so, but should
gradually diminish over time. Your doctor may prescribe medication for this
pain.
Jaw Pain? Jaw pain may also exist after the extraction due to holding your
mouth open for a prolonged period. It should only last about 4 to 5 days. If
there is jaw pain then mild massaging of the jaw joint muscles will sooth
them. You may also want to try applying moist heat to the area for 10 minutes
at a time, then 10 minutes off and repeat. Avoid chewing hard foods and
opening widely. These actions may aggravate the area.
Bleeding? Slight bleeding may continue for up to 12 hours. This is normal
and is the body's way of healing and cleaning the area. When given gauze to
place on the area make sure you change it every 30-40 minutes. Another
method of natural healing, if bleeding persists, is to bite on a moist tea bag
for 30 minutes. The tea leaves have a natural anti-bleeding agent that can
help.
Place a towel on your pillow when laying down. You'll have a tendency to
salivate more than normal after an extraction, because your mouth will sense
that it has a wound in it and this is it reaction to wash the wound: to salivate.
When the saliva in your mouth mixes with a little blood from the wound it may
seem like you are bleeding more than normal, but you aren't. Don't be
alarmed, your mouth is simply doing its job at healing!
Numbness? Numbness may persist indefinitely after an extraction or may go
away gradually over a period of up to days, depending on where the tooth is
located relative to the local nerves of the mouth.
Brushing? You may brush only the area surrounding the healing site. The
healing site may be brushed after the gums have healed about a week after
the extraction. However, it is very important that you do keep the healing area
clean. Wait about 1 day after extraction before rinsing. The best way to do this
is to remove any debris by very lightly swishing with 1 cup of warm water
mixed with a teaspoon of salt. By swishing, I mean to sip the water and gently
move your head back and forth several times, hold your head over a sink and
open your mouth to let the water out . DO NOT vigorously swish. DO NOT spit.
DO NOT suck anything through a straw. This will potentially loosen and break
the natural clot that is developing in the area.
Mouthwash? DO NOT use mouthwash for about a week after the extraction.
Diet? For 1 to 2 days only eat very soft foods and try avoiding eating anything
in the area of the extraction. AVOID eating any foods that crumble, such as
potato chips, crackers, etc. as these foods may inhibit the healing of the clot.
Smoking? NOPE! At least not until 72 hours after. THIS APPLIES TO
ALCOHOL OR ANY OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS AS WELL!! All of these
items will not only inhibit healing, but may also be very destructive to the area
as well, especially the smoke from smoking. A dry socket may develop and
can be just as painful as a toothache or worse.
No, not always. In fact, it is preferable to save the tooth, if at all possible. Your
mouth has already adjusted itself to all the teeth that are existing. If you
remove a tooth, then your bite may change, your teeth may eventually move
out of place, "food traps" (spaces where food may get stuck) may develop and
cause more cavities to form. It is alway best to save your teeth, if you can.
Besides, if you replace the missing space(s) with partials, implants,
dentures, or any other "prostheses", they will never have the same great
properties as your real teeth.
If teeth are abscessed, the most likely best option for saving the tooth is to do
a root canal.
Do extractions hurt? What will I feel when I get my tooth pulled?
They shouldn't hurt at all, since they'll be numbed before the treatment.
Sometimes, with abscessed teeth, it may be a little more difficult to numb the
tooth.
When the treatment begins, you will most likely feel pressures, but not pain.
The anesthesia that numbs the tooth cannot get rid of the pressure
sensations, but will certainly remove the pain.
How long does it take for the bone to grow back after I get my tooth pulled?
It varies how long healing will take, but healing of the bone can take a while.
The bone, itself, can take from 6 to 8 months to completely heal. The gums
will heal over in about 3 to 4 weeks and the initial healing of the area takes
about 1 to 2 weeks.
The bone in the area may or may not completely fill in. You may have a slight
dip in the bone around the area of the extraction.
What should or shouldn't I do after getting an extraction?
Pain? Some pain from the tooth may last a couple of days or so, but should
gradually diminish over time. Your doctor may prescribe medication for this
pain.
Jaw Pain? Jaw pain may also exist after the extraction due to holding your
mouth open for a prolonged period. It should only last about 4 to 5 days. If
there is jaw pain then mild massaging of the jaw joint muscles will sooth
them. You may also want to try applying moist heat to the area for 10 minutes
at a time, then 10 minutes off and repeat. Avoid chewing hard foods and
opening widely. These actions may aggravate the area.
Bleeding? Slight bleeding may continue for up to 12 hours. This is normal
and is the body's way of healing and cleaning the area. When given gauze to
place on the area make sure you change it every 30-40 minutes. Another
method of natural healing, if bleeding persists, is to bite on a moist tea bag
for 30 minutes. The tea leaves have a natural anti-bleeding agent that can
help.
Place a towel on your pillow when laying down. You'll have a tendency to
salivate more than normal after an extraction, because your mouth will sense
that it has a wound in it and this is it reaction to wash the wound: to salivate.
When the saliva in your mouth mixes with a little blood from the wound it may
seem like you are bleeding more than normal, but you aren't. Don't be
alarmed, your mouth is simply doing its job at healing!
Numbness? Numbness may persist indefinitely after an extraction or may go
away gradually over a period of up to days, depending on where the tooth is
located relative to the local nerves of the mouth.
Brushing? You may brush only the area surrounding the healing site. The
healing site may be brushed after the gums have healed about a week after
the extraction. However, it is very important that you do keep the healing area
clean. Wait about 1 day after extraction before rinsing. The best way to do this
is to remove any debris by very lightly swishing with 1 cup of warm water
mixed with a teaspoon of salt. By swishing, I mean to sip the water and gently
move your head back and forth several times, hold your head over a sink and
open your mouth to let the water out . DO NOT vigorously swish. DO NOT spit.
DO NOT suck anything through a straw. This will potentially loosen and break
the natural clot that is developing in the area.
Mouthwash? DO NOT use mouthwash for about a week after the extraction.
Diet? For 1 to 2 days only eat very soft foods and try avoiding eating anything
in the area of the extraction. AVOID eating any foods that crumble, such as
potato chips, crackers, etc. as these foods may inhibit the healing of the clot.
Smoking? NOPE! At least not until 72 hours after. THIS APPLIES TO
ALCOHOL OR ANY OTHER TOBACCO PRODUCTS AS WELL!! All of these
items will not only inhibit healing, but may also be very destructive to the area
as well, especially the smoke from smoking. A dry socket may develop and
can be just as painful as a toothache or worse.
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| Copyright 2006 ALL CARE DENTAL, LLC |
2043 E. Southern Ave.,
Suite D
Tempe, AZ 85282
(480) 820-7225
Suite D
Tempe, AZ 85282
(480) 820-7225