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Extractions

Tooth Extractions

What is a tooth extraction?

An extraction is the removal of a tooth, usually due to disease, trauma, poor positioning, and sometimes severe crowding.

Why do teeth need to be pulled or extracted?

There are several reasons why a tooth may need to be removed. If you have severe decay, an infection, impacted teeth, periodontal disease, crowding issues or had trauma to an area of the mouth, extraction might be necessary. Come see us at Chandler Dental for a full evaluation to determine if this is the right step for you. We will do an examination, take an x-ray of the area, and go over all of your options and help you make a good decision. An infected tooth can be very serious so it is important to act quickly and let us do an evaluation so we can avoid health complications. If an extraction is the right choice, we will walk you through the aftercare steps you will need to follow. We will also discuss options for replacing the tooth that is being removed if it is necessary to replace the tooth. (see below)

How are teeth removed?

The extraction of a tooth can be considered simple or surgical. A simple extraction is completed on a tooth that has a favorable root shape and position and is simply wiggled loose with some pressure. A surgical extraction is completed on a tooth that has more difficult root shapes, multiple roots, or difficult position in the mouth. This type of tooth sometimes needs to be sectioned so that the tooth can be removed. Often times bone removal is needed to allow the tooth to come out of its socket. You have probably heard of an impacted tooth usually associated with wisdom teeth. This is a tooth that has not fully come out of the gums or bone to some degree. There can be varying degrees of impaction, but these extractions are considered surgical.

How do I take care of the area after an extraction?

Here are some tips to follow to make recovery easier:

  • Avoid anything that might prevent normal healing of the clot.
  • Don’t smoke or vape. This will help prevent dry sockets.
  • Avoid drinking through a straw for 24 hours.
  • Avoid heavy swishing and spitting, especially for the first 24 hours. Avoid mouthwash.
  • Stay on top of recommended pain medications/antibiotics.
  • Placing Ice packs on your face in the area 15 min on and 15 min off.
  • Brush and floss the other teeth as usual. Avoid the area where the tooth was removed.
  • Follow a soft food diet, cold foods are best for the first few days.

What is a dry socket?

A dry socket is when a blood clot does not properly form in the socket where the tooth was removed. This results in exposed bone and often severe throbbing about 2-3 days after the extraction. If this happens, please give us a call and we can place medication in the socket to help it heal and feel better. Follow the above instructions to avoid a dry socket in the first place. Heavy swishing and/or smoking can disrupt and remove the blood clot that is trying to form in the socket.

Should I replace my extracted or missing tooth?

Have you ever wondered why dentists are always recommending tooth replacements? Sometimes replacement of a tooth is not recommended or doesn’t make sense. For example, when wisdom teeth are removed or when a tooth is removed for crowding reasons. However, for the most part it is highly recommended to replace your missing teeth.

Here are several good reasons to replace your missing tooth/teeth:

  • It prevents neighbor teeth from shifting causing damaging contact with opposing teeth.
  • It preserves and restores chewing function.
  • It ensures that you can maintain a healthy diet.
  • It helps support your lips, cheeks, and the integrity of your face.
  • It protects your other teeth from chipping and breaking due to excessive pressure.
  • It prevents bone loss in the area and around your neighbor teeth.
  • It prevents overgrowth of the opposing tooth.
  • It keeps your smile beautiful.

When a tooth or several teeth are missing it can cause the surrounding teeth to shift forward which can cause problems with the way you bite and also create awkward areas which are difficult if not impossible to clean. The tooth above or below the missing tooth can also drift up or down into the space over time which can be detrimental to the way you chew and makes it hard to do an implant or replace the tooth later. When teeth are missing, the surrounding teeth are now supporting all the forces of chewing function, and this can cause fractures and cracks to form in those teeth. This is especially true when there are many teeth missing in the back of the mouth – this causes the front teeth to get more wear and pressure on them and causes the thin edges to chip and break easier. When it comes to a healthy diet, many people find it difficult to chew certain foods with missing teeth and may not get the proper balance of nutrition they need for proper systemic health.

What are my options for replacing missing teeth?

After reviewing the benefits of replacing missing teeth it begs the question, what are the options for replacing these teeth? Click on the links below to get more details about each one. There are 3 main options:

  1. Dental Implant – This is the absolute best way to replace a missing tooth because it looks, feels and functions similar to your natural teeth.
  2. Dental Bridge – This is usually the 2nd best option to replace a missing tooth since it is bonded onto your teeth and not removeable. It does require the teeth on either side to be shaped and prepared like when a crown is done.
  3. Partial Denture – We only recommend a partial denture if the first two options are not viable options – For example if you don’t have enough bone currently for implants and you have several missing teeth in a row. A partial denture usually has a metal framework that rests or clasps onto the remaining teeth and replaces the ones that are missing. This is removeable and will move to some degree as you eat. This is one of the reasons it is the least favorable option. When all the teeth are missing on one arch then a complete denture or implant denture are the available options.

What is a bone graft? When and why is it needed?

A bone graft is the placement of prepackaged sterilized bone particles into the socket of the tooth after the tooth is removed. This is usually done with the intent of being able to place an implant in the area after healing to replace a tooth or teeth. Grafting is completed to ensure that there is adequate bone in the area for an implant to be placed after healing. When a tooth is extracted, and a bone graft is not done, there is significantly more bone loss in the area when it heals compared to an area that has been properly grafted. This is very important because if there is not enough bone in an area where a tooth is missing it can be very difficult to place a predictable, successful implant. It is also important to note that this grafting is the most beneficial if it is done at the time of tooth extraction. Shrinking of the bone occurs shortly after extractions are done so you do not want to wait. A general guideline for healing time is about 4 months for the bone graft before an implant is placed depending on the situation and where the implant is being placed.

Bone grafts can also be important if you are doing a bridge, especially for a tooth that is visible when you smile. Grafting in a future bridge area creates full, healthy bone and gums where the replacement tooth will be. This prevents that tooth from looking longer than your natural teeth and produces the appearance that the replacement tooth is coming out of your gums. Bone grafting is not always needed with every tooth extraction. We will guide you in making the best decision for your extraction area.

Extractions Chandler AZ

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