Are you experiencing sudden tooth pain? You may need a dental extraction. We recommend a dental extraction for patients with overcrowding, infected teeth, impacted wisdom teeth, or extensive tooth damage. At Hope Restorative and Cosmetic Dentistry, we want patients to achieve healthier smiles. Removing teeth with a tooth extraction in our Tulsa, OK, office can prevent future dental problems and maintain good oral health.
Tooth extraction is one of the general dentistry services we provide to our new and existing patients in Tulsa, OK. Extractions are preventive treatments. Removing problem teeth can help prevent the spread of infection or damage to other teeth.
Do I Need a Tooth Removed?
Our office does everything we can to preserve your natural teeth. However, in some cases, we need to remove teeth in cases of:
- Tooth Infection: We can often save a decayed tooth with a root canal and filling. But in some cases, decay is too severe.
- Impacted Teeth: An impacted tooth is a tooth that doesn’t have enough room to grow. This tooth can create problems like overcrowding and damage to other teeth. Removing impacted teeth can prevent future dental complications.
- Damaged Teeth: We often recommend a dental crown for severe tooth damage. A crown can keep fractured teeth together and protected. However, we must remove the tooth if a crown is insufficient for your damage.
- Overcrowding: If orthodontic treatment does not work, we may need to remove a tooth. If you experience overcrowding, it can be difficult to bite and chew comfortably. Sometimes, removing one tooth and providing orthodontic treatment can help you get a straighter smile.
Are Tooth Extractions Painful?
Many patients believe that extractions are painful treatments. However, that isn’t the case. Tooth extractions are not as painful as any other type of routine dental surgery.
Before we remove your teeth, we will numb your mouth. If we need to remove wisdom teeth or teeth requiring more time, we will provide sedation. Under sedation, you may not be aware of your treatment. While you may feel sensations, you will not feel pain.
After your extraction, you will take pain medication as needed. We recommend healing at home so you feel as comfortable as possible.
What Happens During a Tooth Extraction in Tulsa, OK
Before any extraction, Dr. Cha will take dental X-rays to determine which teeth need treatment and plan their removal. Some teeth are simple to remove because they are above the gum line. Broken or impacted teeth, particularly wisdom teeth, require more time to remove.
Dr. Cha will use a local anesthetic for simple extractions and dental sedation for more complex, lengthy extractions. He ensures that you feel as comfortable as possible during your extraction.
A simple extraction can take minutes. However, complex extractions can take multiple hours. We provide sedation for long treatments. In most cases, you will not be aware of your treatment.
Following extraction treatment, he will recommend that you eat a soft diet for several days and take pain medication as needed. You will also need a cold compress to prevent swelling. If you have any problems or complications as you heal, please call our office for treatment.
Removing Wisdom Teeth
The wisdom teeth are the last four permanent teeth to emerge. You may notice your wisdom teeth growing in your late teens or early twenties. However, they may grow earlier or later in life. Wisdom teeth grow behind your molars in the back of the mouth.
While many patients will have no problem with their wisdom teeth, wisdom teeth can create problems if there is not enough room to grow. Wisdom teeth are often impacted. They can overcrowd the mouth and even damage your molars.
Removing impacted wisdom teeth prevents damage to other teeth, tooth pain, and overcrowding. Let Dr. Cha know if you feel your wisdom teeth emerge behind your back molars. He will take X-rays and plan an extraction if there is a chance of impaction. Catching wisdom teeth early can prevent increased pain and tooth damage.
Tooth Extractions: Post-Op Instructions
After your tooth extraction, we will place gauze on your extraction sites. Replace the gauze every thirty minutes until you stop bleeding. Gauze will protect the tooth sockets and allow blood clots to form. These blood clots cover the nerves in the tooth socket.
If you do not form these clots, or if the blood clots are dislodged, you can experience “dry socket.” Dry socket is a highly painful condition, as it exposes the nerves in the socket. The only treatments for dry socket are pain medication and gentle care.
Once your anesthetic or sedation wears off, you can experience pain and sensitivity. We will prescribe pain medication for you to take for the next couple of days. You can also apply a cold compress to the outside of your cheek to reduce swelling. Use ice off and on for fifteen minutes at a time.
At first, you will want to eat soft foods. Stick to pasta, yogurt, mashed potatoes, and soups as you heal. Hard or crunchy foods can increase your risk of pain at your extraction sites. Be careful when eating and drinking after treatment. You can also accidentally bite your lip or other tissues if your mouth is numb.
Restoring Extracted Teeth
If Dr. Cha removes a permanent tooth that is not wisdom or tooth extracted due to overcrowding, he will recommend a dental implant. One or more dental implants can replace single or multiple teeth at the root. Implants look and feel like natural teeth and blend in with the smile.
We recommend a dental bridge if you have consecutive missing teeth. Dentures can restore full arches of lost teeth. Crowns, bridges, and dentures can use support from implants for lasting restorations.
Get a Comfortable Tooth Extraction
Are your wisdom teeth coming in? Do you have infected teeth that require removal? Call Dr. Cha for comfortable tooth extraction treatment in Tulsa, OK, today at 918-347-1114. You can also schedule a dental appointment with Dr. Cha on our website.
Don’t hesitate to contact us if you have questions about tooth removal. We’re here to help.