Sometimes a tooth is just too diseased, chipped, or damaged to be saved. This is a difficult decision for any dentist to make and they will not make it lightly, and when they do they will talk you through the extraction process. In many cases, you will see a dramatic improvement in the health of your mouth and your overall health once the damaged tooth is removed. It may sound a little scary, having a tooth out, but actually the whole process is very quick and almost completely pain free – something that not every dental treatment can boast!
Firstly, your dentist will take an x-ray of your mouth to fully understand the complete damage and any potential consequences to other teeth that taking that one out will create. They will choose an extraction method that best fits you, and then they will apply an anaesthetic to completely remove any feeling or pain. In fact, all you will feel is pressure. No matter how long it takes to get the tooth out – and in the majority of cases, it takes less than a few minutes – you will not be in any pain. When the tooth is out, your dentist will give you a piece of gauze to bite down on, and that will help to stop the bleeding and start the healing process. If the socket where the tooth was is a very large one, then the dentist may put in a few sutures to help to aid the healing.
And before you know it, the whole thing is over! You will probably be surprised at how quickly the entire process goes by, and you will quickly be able to feel the benefits. It will take a little getting used to, having a gap where a tooth used to be, but soon you will not even notice it.
There are of course, may wonderful options to replace the extracted tooth.. to explore those, please give us a call at (619) 359-6569.
