Saving Your Smile With a Tooth Extraction
March 10, 2022
When we remove a tooth with a tooth extraction, we’re often addressing issues far too severe to be treated with a crown or root canal. This procedure could actually protect the rest of your smile from major complications! In today’s blog, your Kansas City, MO, dentist talks about the reasons to undergo a tooth extraction.
Factors That Call for Removal
When do we recommend removing a tooth? We may suggest this for cases of deep tooth decay and dental infection too severe to be treated with a root canal and crown, as removal prevents the spread of infection. Our team also prescribes this for teeth loosened by gum disease, or when a tooth needs to be removed as part of orthodontic treatment. We also address impacted teeth or baby teeth that don’t fall out on time. If you’re receiving implant dentures, we could also take out the last few teeth as well. The most common reason is to prevent the complications of wisdom teeth eruption. These are up to four additional molars that arrive in the rear of our mouths when we enter adulthood. Extraction prevents infection, misalignment, impaction, and more.
Removing a Tooth With Care
How do we perform a tooth extraction? To begin, we will take detailed digital X-rays and images to pinpoint the position of the tooth and plan the treatment with precision. We then numb the area and for patients with anxiety, we could also offer sedation to help them enter a relaxed and calm state, with little or no memory of the procedure at all. We then gently extract the tooth with a pair of forceps and take steps to preserve and protect the extraction site afterward. The process could take as little as just 30 minutes.
The Healing Process and Tooth Replacement
For the first day at home, you should rest, avoid straws, eat soft foods, and brush and floss very gently. Don’t prod the site with your tongue! If necessary, we can remove sutures in a follow-up. If your extraction leaves a gap behind in your smile, then our team could help with dental implant placement, offering a new tooth that looks and functions like a natural one, and one that could last for decades or possibly even a lifetime.
If you have any questions about how we protect the health, function, and beauty of your smile with oral surgery, then contact our team today.
Talk to Your Kansas City, MO Dentist About Oral Surgery
We’re ready to offer a safe and comfortable tooth removal for your smile. If you have questions about addressing infection or removing wisdom teeth, then contact your Kansas City, MO, dentist, Dr. Lucaci, by calling 816-427-4018.