Tooth Extractions at Wynyard Dental Clinic
Our family dentists do everything possible to help you keep your natural teeth healthy for life. But sometimes problems like trauma, infections or gum disease make it so that your teeth can’t be saved. When that’s the case, it’s usually best for your overall health to have the problematic teeth removed.
Reasons for Extracting a Tooth
- Severe periodontal disease
- Aggressive tooth decay
- Structural damage
- Orthodontic complications
- Impacted wisdom teeth
- Emergency situations
- Full mouth reconstruction
- Dentures
- Broken or cracked teeth
- Abscesses
Keeping You Comfortable
All of our tooth extractions are completed with local anaesthetic and happy gas (nitrous oxide) to keep you as comfortable as possible. You won’t feel anything other than a bit of pressure. If you want, we can also arrange for an anaesthetist to visit our office and provide deeper sedation during your appointment. If that’s the case, you’ll feel sleepy and may not remember much of the visit because of the lingering amnesic effects.
Tooth Replacement After Surgery
Taking a tooth out creates extra space in your mouth, posing a threat to your surrounding teeth. Without the support of neighbouring teeth, you may start to experience tooth movement on both arches. Problems like crowding or crooked teeth can develop within just a few months.
We recommend replacing your extracted tooth as quickly as possible to retain your natural teeth spacing. Options like fixed bridges, dental implants or partial dentures are just a few choices to consider. This step is especially important if you previously invested in and completed orthodontic treatment!
Recovery
Dental extractions are a somewhat routine procedure. However, they do require a bit of recovery time after your appointment. Plan to take the rest of the day off and have an over-the-counter pain reliever on hand.
You may need to alternate a cold compress on and off every 20 minutes to keep swelling down (inflammation is the most common cause of oral pain). For the first few days, have soft foods on hand to eat. Avoid drinking through a straw, carbonated beverages or hot food as these may delay healing.
Can Your Tooth Be Saved?
Extractions are usually one of the last things that we’ll recommend to our patients. If you think your tooth needs to be pulled, contact Wynyard Dental Clinic to schedule a consultation for extractions with our family dentists.
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* Any surgical or invasive procedure carries risks. Before proceeding, you should seek a second opinion from an appropriately qualified health practitioner.
