7 Reasons for Tooth Extraction in Dentistry
Jul 01, 2020
Have you ever caught yourself questioning the decision of a dental expert? Sometimes a dentist can prescribe a treatment that does not sit well with you, and this is often the case with tooth extractions in Edmonton. It is one thing to accidentally lose your tooth, and a different ball game when it means having it removed.
While we need to trust that dental experts have the best intentions for us, it is not always as easy or simple. Sometimes understanding why things are being done can help you better appreciate the decision.
What is Tooth Extraction?
It is a dental procedure that involves forcefully removing a mature tooth right from its roots. It is a common procedure in different specialties of dentistry, usually performed for different reasons. If it comes to a point where your dentist prescribes tooth extraction in Edmonton, there must be a valid ground for the decision.
When Is Tooth Extraction Necessary?
Before you freak out over the idea of losing your tooth through a tooth extraction procedure near you, consider the following reasons that merit such an action:
- Severe dental decay – the initial stages of dental decay feature dental cavities and mild toothaches. However, as the decay progresses, the severity increases, and it because enough a reason to have your tooth removed.
- Broken tooth – this rings true for patients with a big chunk of their teeth broken. If the part of your tooth that has broken is larger than what remains, sometimes removing it is the best option.
- Excruciating pain – sometimes a dentist may offer tooth extraction in place of a root canal to help alleviate your pain long-term.
- Abscessed tooth – An abscess is a pus-filled pocket that forms at the roots of teeth following infection. This not only causes severe pain and significant swelling, but also increases the risk of spreading the infection to other parts of your oral cavity.
- Risk of infection – the conditions around which your tooth is situated can merit its removal. Some treatments like Chemotherapy are very intense and can be grounds for one having their teeth removed to reduce the risk of infection.
- For orthodontics – in orthodontics, a crowded mouth is a big deal. It makes your smile unpleasant and your mouth feels like a tight space. Part of the treatment to straighten your teeth requires removing a tooth or two to create more too. For the rest of your teeth.
Impacted wisdom teeth – these last set of molars in an adult mouth can introduce new oral problems. It is not always that they grow properly as they should. Sometimes, they can be impacted, so that they cause discomfort and cause other oral problems. Removing such a tooth is a great way to get rid of all such problems that can hinder excellent oral health.
Is It Painful?
One of the reasons why people fear tooth extractions is because of the assumed pain. Patients even have dental anxiety from thinking about the pain that could result from having the procedure. However, this is not entirely true.
Modern dentistry is very advanced today so that dental works are not only smooth but more or less painless. The use of local anesthesia will numb your mouth from the pain of the procedure. You will barely feel a thing when the dentist is pulling out your tooth. Better yet, other sedating medication can be used to help you remain still and calm during your procedure.
What To Expect After Tooth Removal
After your treatment, there are a couple of things you should anticipate. For one the numbness of the anesthesia will wear out after a couple of minutes. This is when you may start feeling some discomfort from your procedure. Some of the tips to manage your wound after treatment include:
- Eat ice cream – your dentist will tell you to eat ice cream a couple of hours after treatment. The cold temperatures will act as a clod compress that will alleviate your pain and decrease the swelling.
- Keep the gauze on – it will control bleeding by allowing the formation of a blood clot.
- Take soft foods – the first couple of days will prove difficult to get back on hard foods. Stick to soft foods, while avoiding straws.