Dental Care of Mesa
Tooth Extractions in Mesa, AZ
Tooth extractions, or having teeth out is more common than you might think. There are several reasons you would need a tooth extraction. Extractions are performed on children and teenagers in preparation for orthodontic work, or in older people in the case of tooth decay or breakage. Extractions are carried out following a simple procedure, and it’s a very typical part of a dentist’s daily routine. Extractions are always performed with the best interests of the patient at heart, as otherwise, the problem tooth could lead to other health issues.
What are the common reasons for extractions?
Here are some of the most common reasons for tooth extractions. They can affect people of all ages. In order to prevent these issues from causing further complications, dentists will often choose to perform extractions.
Tooth decay
Tooth decay is the most common reason you would need a tooth extraction. Tooth decay, if caught early, doesn’t always need to result in extractions, but if it’s reached the inner part of the tooth and causes infection, then that tooth needs to be removed.
Broken teeth
Again, broken teeth can be fixed without an extraction. Treatments such as crowns or veneers are used instead. In some cases, however, the tooth is broken too close to the gumline and needs to be extracted.
Gum disease
Advancing gum disease, if left untreated, can cause the tooth structure, so gum tissue, bone, and ligament to deteriorate. This often means the tooth will need extracting or even come out on its own.
Impacted teeth
An impacted tooth is one that’s stuck in the gum and can’t break through for a variety of reasons. These include overcrowding of teeth, a twisted or angled tooth, or a displaced tooth. This is a very common problem with wisdom teeth, for instance.
Overcrowded teeth
Usually, in preparation for orthodontic work, some teeth may need to be extracted due to overcrowding. These extractions are performed essentially to make space in the mouth for the remaining adult teeth to grow straight.
What’s the process of a tooth extraction?
In all cases, the dentist will prescribe an anesthetic to make the experience for the patient as comfortable as possible. In most cases, a local anesthetic will suffice, but occasionally a general anesthetic is given and the procedure is performed with the patient unconscious. Once the anesthetic has taken effect, the dentist will remove any gum tissue or bone covering the tooth and will gently extract it using forceps.
Depending on the type of extraction the recovery time is usually around 7 to 10 days. You should try to minimize oral activity such as eating or drinking for 24hours. Dentists usually recommend eating soft or liquid foods after that and to gently brush the area as normal. Overall, it’s a fairly simple procedure that can then be followed up by installing a dental implant, or carrying out orthodontic work, for example.
If you would like more information about tooth extractions in Mesa, Arizona, get in touch today.