If you are having severe dental pain, you may be in need of a tooth extraction-this is the procedure of removing your actual tooth from the socket that rests in the bone of your jaw. It can be crucial to the health of your mouth in certain circumstances, especially when significant decay or nerve damage has taken place.
If you have any extra teeth in your mouth, you may need to have an extraction to make room for new growth, so that they are able to stay straight. To begin the process, you will probably have x-rays taken, to ensure that they have the right canine ready for treatment.
Make sure that you inform them of any prior medical conditions, or allergies to medications. The more they know, the better they will be able to ensure your safety.
If you have a bleeding disorder, this information can be critical to your health. Do not eat or drink anything for about six hours before the procedure-this can be tough, but is important.
Wear loose and comfortable clothing, so that they can reach your arm to put in an IV line. This will allow you to be sedated, so that the process is more comfortable for you.
Arrange for someone to pick you up and drive you home after the procedure, as you will most likely be groggy and unable to drive or walk. Make sure that it is someone who is reliable, and who will be able to help take care of you while you gain full consciousness.
There are generally two types of extractions. The first is a simple extraction: this is done when a tooth is seen above the surface in the mouth.
Most of these can be done using just an injection, with or without anti-anxiety drugs. In a simple procedure, the dentist will grasp it with forceps, and loosen it by moving the forceps back and forth.
It will then be pulled out. Sometimes the dentist will use a dental "elevator" to help loosen it.
The next type of procedure is a surgical extraction. A surgical one involves teeth that cannot be seen easily in the mouth.
They may have broken off at the gum line, or they may not have come in yet. To see and remove the infected piece, the dentist or oral surgeon must cut and pull back the gums.
This provides access to remove any bone, and/or a piece of the tooth. If you are having this procedure and are receiving conscious sedation, you may be given steroids in your IV line to help reduce swelling after the procedure.
Most simple surgeries do not cause much discomfort after the procedure. You may take an over-the-counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as ibuprofen, at least for a few days until the swelling goes down.
Because surgical varieties are more complicated, they generally cause more pain after the procedure. The level of discomfort will depend on the difficulty of a given circumstance.
Your dentist may prescribe pain medicine for a few days, and then suggest the best anti-inflammatory for you to take. After a couple of days, you will be feeling much better.
You can put ice packs on your face to reduce swelling after the operation. If your jaw is sore and stiff after the swelling goes away, try warm compresses.
Eat soft and cool foods for a few days. A gentle rinse with warm salt water, started about twenty-four hours after the surgery, can help to keep the area clean.
If you need stitches, they usually dissolve completely on their own. They should disappear within one to two weeks.
If you rinse them with warm salt water, they can dissolve faster. Be sure not to smoke after your surgery, and do not use a straw to drink any beverages.
These actions can pull the blood clot out of the surgical site-this causes bleeding and pain, and often leaves the area open to infection. This occurs in twenty to thirty percent of cases, and should be avoided at all costs.
If you feel this is something you are going to have to go through, be sure to talk to your dentist about everything that will be involved. The better you follow their instructions, the smoother the process will go.
Author Resource:-
Terry Daniels is a retired dentist. In his spare time he now does research and presents at symposiams on current best practices. He works closely with and has recommendations for a good Dentist in Orlando Fl.
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