Services

Tooth Extractions

You, Dr. Brittingham and Dr. Beshore may determine that you need a tooth extraction for any number of reasons. Some teeth are extracted because they are severely decayed; others may have advanced periodontal disease, or have broken in a way that cannot be repaired. Other teeth may need removal because they are poorly positioned in the mouth (such as impacted wisdom teeth).

The removal of a tooth can lead to many problems. They include:

  • Shifting or loss of surrounding teeth
  • Periodontal infections
  • Loss of bone
  • Your ability to chew properly or eat the foods you love
  • Pain in your Jaw Joint
  • A decrease in how comfortable you are with your smile.

Because of these reasons, we will educate you in the options you have to replace the missing tooth. Teeth like contact, so when one of them are missing the surrounding teeth will shift to try to touch their neighbors. Dental Implants and bridges can aid you in keeping your smile, and preventing most of the complications listed above.

The Extraction Process

This type of procedure can be very nerve-racking. Our team will support you through the treatment, educate you on how to care for yourself afterwards and help keep you relaxed. Nitrous Oxide (laughing gas) can be used to help keep you relaxed and we will numb the tooth and surrounding tissue to make the procedure as comfortable as possible. During the extraction process you will feel a lot of pressure. The pressure is caused by holding onto the tooth firmly as we wiggle it back and forth to loosen it in the bone. You feel the pressure without pain as the anesthetic has numbed the nerves stopping the transference of pain, yet the nerves that transmit pressure are not profoundly affected. If you do feel pain at any time during the extraction please let us know right away. We will give you more anesthetic and continue after it has taken effect.

Some teeth require sectioning. This is a very common procedure done when a tooth is so firmly anchored in its socket or the root is curved and the socket can't expand enough to remove it. The doctor simply cuts the tooth into sections then removes each section one at a time.

Some bleeding may occur for a few days after the procedure. A scab cannot form in the mouth like it can on our skin. Just as long as the bleeding does not increase and continue over a long period of time, this is normal. Placing a piece of moist gauze over the empty socket and biting down firmly for 45 minutes can control this. We will send you home with plenty of gauze and the doctor’s phone number so if you have any questions or concerns that evening, you can contact them.

It is very important for a blood clot to form in the socket. The healing process relies on the clot so you must be careful not to dislodge it. If this occurs, you could suffer from Dry Socket which is uncomfortable. Dry Socket is caused by the loss of the blood clot and the bone is open to the outside elements, it also increases the healing time significantly. Dry Socket causes a constant ache in the surgical site until the gum tissue heals over the socket. Please see our Home Care Instructions on tips to avoid Dry Socket.

If swelling occurs you can place ice on your face for 10 minutes and off for 20 minutes. Repeat this cycle as you feel necessary for up to 24 hours. If you experience pain you may use non-prescription pain relief medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Depending on the type of extraction we are doing, the Doctor might send you home with a prescription pain medication. Please follow the directions of your pharmacist to ensure you are using the medication properly. You will want to keep the area clean of debris until the gum tissue has completely healed. It is common for patients to neglect rinsing with warm salt water. This is important for cleansing and healing of your extraction site. You cannot rinse too often, but you can rinse too vigorously so allow the water to flow around your mouth gently then fall out of your mouth.

After a tooth extraction there will be a hole in the bone where the tooth once was. If a bone graft is not done at the time of the extraction, you will notice a loss of bone structure as the area heals. Even if you decide not to move forward with an implant to replace the tooth immediately, placing the bone graft can help to retain the bone level for future placement of an implant. If there is no tooth, there is no bone. This means that an implant may not be able to be placed down the road. Talk to a member of our team to help you decide which option is best for you!

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