We all want to hold onto our natural teeth for a lifetime or for as long as possible, but it is not always the best available option. Sometimes, your teeth can be worn down, broken, or damaged. When this happens, tooth extraction is your best choice and a suitable option.
When is an Extraction Considered?
- Wisdom tooth
An impacted wisdom tooth can be very painful and uncomfortable. Your teeth become impacted when you don’t have enough space in the jaw to accommodate any new tooth. When such a tooth grows out of the jaw, the best option is to have it removed.
- Tooth damage or decay
A decaying or damaged tooth should be removed. This is the right option when reconstructive care like fillings or dental crowns is no longer an option to consider.
- Overcrowding
Overcrowding of the mouth occurs when the teeth are big or if more teeth are growing unexpectedly. Your dentist will have to extract some teeth to help the remaining teeth.
- Infected teeth
Your teeth can get infected due to some reasons. If your teeth are seriously painful or deeply infected, removing such teeth might be the right option. Advances in root canal treatment have shown that you might not necessarily extract the infected tooth.
Proper Healing after Tooth Extraction
After your tooth extraction, ensure you carefully monitor the area of extraction. This is to ensure that the area looks healthy. You will experience a series of healing stages after the tooth extraction. If you pay adequate attention to your gums, you will know when it is healing. Also, keep the following stages in mind:
- The first twenty-four hours after the extraction comes with a natural blood clot from the area of extraction. It is expected and normal for you to feel some form of discomfort during this period, and you may also experience swelling and minor bleeding during this stage.
- After the first 24 hours, you should be careful not to dislodge the clot in the extraction area. Removing the blood clot may cause an acute painful complication known as a dry socket. You should avoid using or sucking on straws. Ensure you don’t brush the tooth extraction area.
- Three days after the extraction, the gums will start to close and heal around the extraction site.
- Seven to ten days after the tooth extraction, the opening in the extraction area should be almost closed or completely closed. At this stage, your swollen or tender gums should be gone.
When to Call Your Doctors
The extraction area will heal completely in about one to two weeks. But, if you experience one or more of the signs and symptoms below, then you should contact your doctor:
- Pus around the extraction area
- A bad taste in your mouth and the taste has refused to go away
- Unstoppable excess bleeding
- Swelling that is showing no sign of subsiding
- Numbness in your mouth
- Severe pain in the gums or jaw
- Fever
Speed Up Your Recovery After Tooth Extraction
Although the recovery process differs from one patient to another, with each patient healing at a different rate, your doctor may recommend that you do some things to speed up the recovery process and time, which includes:
- Place ice on your cheeks in the extraction area several times a day at a 15 minutes interval.
- Severally wash your mouth with salt water after the first day
- Don’t tamper with the gauze put on the open socket for four hours after the extraction
- Take pain relief medications as prescribed by your dentist to reduce discomfort.
- Carefully adhere to the aftercare guides given by your doctor.