PAINLESS EXTRACTION
PAINLESS TOOTH EXTRACTION
Although every effort is made to save a tooth, it is often necessary to recommend extraction. One of the first concerns when discussing tooth extraction is usually the pain associated with the procedure while in the office. To minimize much of the pain and discomfort from this procedure we offer Sedation Dentistry for tooth extraction and other dental procedure at the request of our patients.
WHEN SHOULD A TOOTH EXTRACTION BE AN OPTION?
A dentist or an orthodontist may opt to pull a tooth for many reasons. The tooth may be so hopelessly damaged from tooth decay that it cannot be saved even with root canal therapy. It may be causing crowding or malocclusion (bad bite) which may prevent a new tooth from breaking through. Or, the tooth may be loose as a result of gum disease or even from an accident.
HOW IS A TOOTH EXTRACTION DONE?
In a simple tooth extraction a dentist takes hold of the tooth with forceps and rocks it back and forth to loosen it from the bone. Removal of the overlying gum might be necessary if a tooth is not quite through the gum. After a tooth extraction, a blood clot forms where a tooth had once been. It is important not to dislodge the blood clot because it aids in healing. Disturbing the clot can result in a dry socket — a painful condition that may or may not heal by itself. Some swelling and light bleeding may occur over the next 24 hours.
WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES OF TOOTH EXTRACTION?
A missing tooth leaves a large enough gap for other teeth to shift. You may also have difficulty chewing and may experience a problem with malocclusion (bad bite). These difficulties can be alleviated with dental implants, fixed bridges or dentures.
IMPACTED WISDOM TOOTH
Wisdom teeth or third molars often are impacted. Wisdom teeth usually begin to come in between the ages of 17 and 21. Dentists call these teeth third molars. They may become impacted because there’s not enough room in your mouth for them. A wisdom tooth also might be trying to come in sideways. Or, it might be tilted in your jaw.
An impacted tooth can be painless. You may not even realize it’s there. However, when an impacted wisdom tooth tries to come in, the flap of gum on top of it can swell. This can hurt. You might feel pain in nearby teeth, or in the ear on that side of your face. Plus, food particles can get stuck near the gum flap. This can lead to an infection called pericoronitis or operculitis. If untreated, this infection can spread to the throat or into the neck.
Impacted teeth can get cavities. An impacted tooth can push on the neighboring molar. This can lead to tooth movement, decay or gum disease. It also can change the way your teeth come together. Rarely, impacted teeth can cause cysts or other growths in the jaw.
Symptoms of an infected or inflamed impacted tooth include:
- Swelling of the gum in the back of your mouth
- Difficulty opening your jaw
- Bad breath
- A bad taste in the mouth
- Pain when you open your mouth
- Pain when chewing or biting
- Repeated cheek biting
Pain can occur for several days and then disappear. It can come back weeks or months later.
At Dental Care, Vadodara area we use digital dental X-rays which is very helpful in diagnosing an impacted tooth.
Treatment: You can sometimes relieve minor irritation by rinsing with warm salt water (1/2 teaspoon of salt in 8 ounces of water). Over-the-counter pain relievers also may help. If the tooth continues to cause pain, is infected or interferes with nearby teeth, the usual treatment is to take it out.
At this centre, special precautions are taken to ensure that the removal of wisdom tooth is a painless procedure. This usually lasts for 15-30 minutes. Our surgeon will perform a painless surgery under local anesthesia, and some simple post-operative instructions are given to you. After the surgery, you may have slight swelling of the cheeks and jaw. Hard foods are best avoided.
Prophylactic Wisdom tooth removal: We also undertake prophylactic removal of wisdom teeth. This surgery is done before the teeth have started coming in. This prevents future problems. The procedure is usually the same, except that the discomfort is even lesser. Often, it is better to have your wisdom teeth taken out before you turn 21. The surgery usually is less complicated. The tissue and bone also heal better.
POSTOPERATIVE CARE:
- Bite firmly on the cotton wool pack provided for 10-20 minutes·
- If bleeding reoccurs later, use a spare cotton pack or roll up a handkerchief and bite hard in the area of the extraction. Sit down quietly and wait for bleeding to stop·
- Avoid alcohol, smoking and physical exercise for 24 hours as this may increase the chances of infection or more bleeding·
- Avoid rinsing the area for 24 hours as this may lead to loss of the blood clot from the tooth socket (which aids healing) and increases the risk of infection·
- 24 hours after the extraction, rinse your mouth with warm salt water up to four times a day, for a week. This again will reduce the chances of infection·
- If you require painkillers e.g. ibuprofen, paracetamol, you may find if you take them before the anesthetic wears off, the symptoms will be less severe·
- For some procedures it can be normal to have some degree of swelling and bruising after the extraction. Anti-inflammatory drugs can reduce these symproms.
Meet Our Doctors
Dr. Sandhya Panwar Gupta
BDS, Certified Implantologist and CosmetologistDental Surgeon & Cosmetologist
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