Ellicott City Tooth Extractions
Keeping patients’ smiles whole and healthy is one of our top priorities at Ellicott City Smiles Dental Group. Helping patients preserve their healthy, natural teeth is a key element to maintaining the optimal level of oral health. Unfortunately, that is simply not always possible. When tooth removal is the best option to maintain oral health, our Ellicott City dentist and dentistry team are happy to offer surgical and non-surgical tooth extraction services to keep patients’ smiles whole and healthy. If you want to learn more about tooth extraction or any of our other treatment options, call to schedule an appointment with us at Ellicott City Smiles Dental Group. We’ll review your case, and if removal is the best option, provide safe and comfortable tooth extractions in our welcoming dental office.
Why Tooth Extraction is Recommended
We will always try to save a tooth, but there are some cases where we do recommend extraction, including:
- Severe decay or damage that destroys the majority of tooth structure
- In preparation for denture creation
- Prior to beginning orthodontic treatment for patients with crowded teeth
- When baby teeth are unable to fall out on their own
- When a tooth is impacted, unable to erupt from the gums
- Wisdom teeth, third molars, are often removed due to lack of space in the jaw line
How Tooth Removal is Performed
Tooth removals will be performed by pulling for fully erupted teeth and surgically for teeth that cannot be pulled. Pulling simply means we numb the area and use a specialized tool to grasp onto the tooth. We shift the tooth back and forth, and pull it free from the supportive tissue. Surgical extractions may include cutting into soft tissue, drilling into bone, and breaking the tooth into smaller piece prior to extraction. All of these procedures will be performed while your smile is completely numb, so you will feel completely comfortable no matter how advanced the tooth replacement plan.
Caring for Your Smile After Tooth Extraction
Following the removal of one or more teeth, our knowledgeable dentistry team members will work with you to develop a personalized plan to ensure you make a complete recovery. The most important step in any post-operative care plan is to get plenty of rest. You will experience some bleeding at the extraction site for the first 48 hours after your treatment. Use gauze to absorb the blood and slow bleeding. Change out your gauze every few hours or each time it becomes saturated. Use ice at 20 minute intervals to relieve pain and reduce swelling. Take your pain relievers as directed to ensure you stay comfortable and avoid excessive swelling or inflammation. Call our office immediately if you notice any of the following warning signs of tooth extraction complications:
- Pain increases rather than decreases
- You begin to feel sensitivity at the extraction site when air passes over it
- Rather than a blood clot, the socket appears dry and empty
- You see infected tissue that may be swollen or have obvious sores
- You notice a foul odor in your mouth even after your oral hygiene routine
- You experience fever, nausea, and other symptoms of infection