At-Home Care Tips That Will Make You Heal Faster After A Tooth Extraction

As dentists, we work hard to ensure you maintain your natural teeth. However, sometimes this just doesn’t happen. Teeth may be severely damaged by injury, disease, or decay such that they cannot be saved. When this happens, a dental extraction from a dentist near you is the best option.

Sometimes, the teeth may be crowded, that it is necessary to remove one or more teeth to keep you healthy. If you are looking for a Tooth Extraction near you in Lincoln, Lincoln Dental Associates are available for you and will even give you a complete smile makeover if you need one.

Risks That Increase Chances of a Dental Extraction

Below are the risks that might lead to tooth extraction procedure:

• Infection

Suppose tooth decay extends to the pulp that contains nerves and blood vessels. Bacteria in the mouth will get to the pulp and cause infection.

This condition can be corrected with root canal therapy. Still, if the infection is so severe that it cannot be cured with antibiotics or root canal therapy, an extraction may be required to prevent the spread of the infection.

• Risk of Infection

If your immune system is at risk, for instance, if you are undergoing chemotherapy or undergoing an organ transplant, even the risk of infection of a particular tooth may be a good reason for tooth extraction.

• Gum disease

When periodontal disease – the infection of the tissues and bones that surround and support the tooth-causes the tooth to loosen, it may be necessary to pull the tooth out.

Types of Tooth Extractions

There are two types of extraction, one is simple extraction, and the other is surgical extraction. The following are some common reasons for tooth extractions:

1. Simple Extractions

First, one is given an anesthetic that numbs the area around your teeth, then the dentist then uses a special tool that loosens the tooth and then uses tweezers to remove it.

2. Surgical Extractions

During this procedure, you will also receive intravenous anesthesia that will relax and calm you. General anesthesia is also administered to render you unconscious throughout the procedure.

A general dentist or oral surgeon will cut your gums through a small incision. They may need to remove the bone around the tooth or cut off the tooth before they can extract the tooth.

Before undergoing a surgical extraction, you have to inform your dentist if you have any of these conditions: diabetes, any history of heart disease, thyroid infection, hemorrhage conditions, a weak immune system, or hypertension.

Home care Tips After an Extraction Procedure

• It’s healthy to place an ice bag on your cheek since cold conditions inhibit swelling.
• Avoid chewing on foods since hard biting can distract the healing process.
• Let the gauze pad put over the tooth extraction point stay undisturbed for 3 or 4 hours. This allows a blood clot to form over the tooth socket for quick healing.
• Minimize actions that can make you bend or activities that demand heavy lifting. Just relax and avoid working for the next 24 hours or more.
• In the next 24-48 hours after your extraction, avoid solid foods and opt for beverages and puddings.
• Avoid smoking or using a straw since an action that requires sucking disturbs the blood clot and causes a dry socket, leading to sharp pain;hence you might need to seek a dentist’s help after that.
• Brush your teeth and tongue lightly but always avoid the extracted area so that you can prevent infections.
• Avoid rinsing your mouth and spitting too hard. These actions disrupt the blood clot formed on your tooth and slows down the healing process.
• After the extraction, you might feel some pain after the anesthesia fades. You might also experience residual bleeding and some swelling. These are normal, but when bleeding persists, and the pain is severe for consecutive hours, then you should call your dentist.

These are also some of the reasons that require you to call our emergency dentist in Lincoln, NE. They include:

• Nausea; any sign of infection, for instance,prolonged fever; redness, swelling, or pus discharge from the affected area

It takes about seven to fourteen days to recover from an extraction procedure. New gum and bone tissue grow into the gap. However, over time, missing one or more teeth leads to the shifting of the remaining teeth. This is a bad experience, and it causes difficulty in chewing. Therefore, it is important that you replace the missing teeth with a dental implant in Lincoln, NE.