Sometimes a tooth extraction for an adult becomes necessary.
Reasons for Pulling Teeth:
Permanent teeth are normally supposed to last a lifetime, but for some reason, you have to extract your tooth.
Reasons may include a badly damaged tooth, which needs to be repaired. Below are other reasons:
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1. A crowded mouth:
Dentists occasionally have to pull out a tooth to prepare the inside of the mouth for orthodontia.
Orthodontia helps to the teeth properly, and if your teeth are too big, orthodontia may not be possible.
Similarly, if a single tooth can’t break out of gum for a crowded mouth, a dentist may recommend you to pull it out.
2. Infection:
If the damage or tooth decay forms a pulp, then the center of that tooth which contains blood vessels and nerves may be open to bacteria in the mouth, and thus, leading to an infection.
A root canal therapy (RCT) is much-needed in these situations, but if RCT or antibiotics fail, extraction is required to prevent the infection from spreading.
3. Risk of infection:
Sometimes, our immune system is cooperated, for example — if we take chemotherapy or go through an organ transplant.
In this situation, the risk of infection in a specific tooth might result in pulling out the tooth.
4. Periodontal (Gum) Disease:
Periodontal disease is one more factor that supports tooth extraction.
Periodontal disease or an infection of the tissue about the gum often causes the loss of teeth.
Then it might be needed to extract a tooth or maybe, a few teeth.
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What is Normally Expected through Tooth Extraction?
Tooth extractions are performed by professional oral surgeons and dentists, and they receive special training to perform these surgeries.
An injection of an anesthetic is given to you to numb the area of extraction just before the tooth is to be pulled out.
Sometimes, a strong general anesthetic might be used by your dentist, which prevents pain throughout your body and puts you to sleep.
If a tooth is found impacted, the gum and bone tissue covering it is cut away with the help of forceps, which grasp your tooth and gently shake it until it loosens from the ligaments, and jaw bone that is responsible for keeping it rooted.
Many times, a tooth can be removed in pieces if it is too hard to pull out.
After the tooth extraction, a blood clot begins to form in the socket.
A gauze pack will be fixed by the dentist into the socket, and you have to bite it down to help stop the bleeding.
Often, the dentist will set some stitches that are self-dissolving and closes the gum edges.
Occasionally, the blood clot in the socket may break loose, revealing the bone.
In such a condition is called dry socket, and it is painful.
Your dentist will set a calming dressing on the socket to protect it for some days and meanwhile, a new clot forms.
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What to tell a Dentist before Pulling your Tooth?
Most of the time, tooth extraction is safe, but the process can compromise you to harmful bacteria which go into the bloodstream.
The gum tissue may also go through with infection.
If this situation comes, you need to take antibiotics after and before the tooth extraction.
Your dentist needs to know your complete medical history before going to the surgical process.
They also need to know the supplements, and medicines you take.
Take a look at the list below and identify if you have any-
- Artificial or damaged cardiac valve.
- Heart weakness by birth · Liver Cirrhosis
- Impaired immune system
- The artificial joint, like to hip replacement
- History of bacterial carditis
- Just after a tooth extraction
While the tooth extraction is done, the dentist will send you at home.
Normally the recovery takes some days.
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The factors like dos and don’ts after tooth extraction discussed below can help to reduce the risk of infection and speed up recovery.
- Remember to take the Prescribed Medicines
- Bite gently on the gauze pad provided by the dentist to reduce bleeding, and it will also allow a blood clots to form.
- Change the gauze pad before drenching it with blood. Or leave the pad in place for 3-4 hours just after the tooth extraction.
- You can apply an ice bag to the area affected to reduce the swelling, do so for 10 minutes.
- Take rest for a day after extracting your tooth, and stop your activities for the next two days.
- Don’t rinse or spit forcefully for a day after the operation, or it will dislodge the clot.
- After a day, make a solution by mixing together eight ounces of warm water and ½ teaspoon of salt, and then rinse your mouth off.
- Don’t use a straw to drink for at least 24 hours.
- Keep yourself away from smoking after tooth extraction, for it can hinder your ability to heal.
So, what to eat after tooth extraction, or how long after tooth extraction can I eat?
Try to eat soft food, for example — yogurt, soup, pudding, applesauce, etc. after the day of the extraction.
- Add solid food to your diet gradually.
- Give Support to your head by placing pillows once lying down:
- Avoid brushing and flossing to your teeth extraction site.
When to go to a Dentist?
So, how long does the pain last after tooth extraction?
It doesn’t matter if you feel pain after tooth extraction and if the response of anesthesia is over, it’s normal.
Within 24 hours after the emergency tooth extraction, you might feel some swelling, and residual bleeding also.
Note that, if the prolonged pain after a tooth extraction is happened or bleeding is still intense even after four hours, you should consult with your dentist.
Read below for more signs on when to call your dentist in your tooth extraction recovery.
- Symptoms of fever and chills, along with infection.
- Vomiting or nausea Swelling, redness, or unreasonable discharge from the area affected.
- Breathlessness, cough, pain in the chest, vomiting, or extreme nausea.
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What about day-by-day tooth extraction healing time?
Generally takes about a week or two. New gum tissue and bone growth.
However, a missing tooth may drive difficulty for the rest of the teeth to set, affecting your bite and having a problem chewing.
Your dentist might recommend replacing the missing teeth or tooth with a denture.
