9 Tips for Quick Tooth Extraction Recovery

Although your permanent teeth are supposed to last a lifetime, sometimes there are reasons why you may need to remove them. These reasons may include:

• Impacted teeth
• Crowded teeth
• Damage from trauma
• Gum disease
• Tooth infection or decay

Tooth extraction is a dental procedure involving the surgical removal of your tooth or teeth from its socket. It can be performed on both children and adults but often adults. Tooth extraction is done for health and aesthetic reasons.

Let us look at how the procedure is done, the tips that can help one during recovery, and where to get a tooth extraction near you.

Tooth Extraction Procedure

There are two types of tooth extraction, simple extraction, and surgical extraction. A simple extraction is done for minor reasons, such as a decayed tooth. Your dentist will numb the area to be extracted using local anesthesia to help prevent you from experiencing any pain. With this, you’ll still be awake and aware of your surroundings. If it is more than one tooth, the dentist will use stronger general anesthesia, keeping you asleep throughout the procedure.

In this simple extraction, the dentist uses a dental device called an elevator to rock the tooth back and forth until it loosens. They will then use dental forceps to remove the tooth.

Wisdom Tooth Extraction

If your molars are impacted, meaning it is beneath the gums and unable to grow, then it needs to be removed by surgical extraction. This can be done by an oral surgeon or our dentist in Fort Valley. First, your dentist will make an incision to cut away the one tissue and the gum covering the tooth. After which, they will use forceps to rock the tooth back and forth until it loosens or breaks.

If the tooth cannot be extracted easily, it will be removed in pieces. Complex surgical extractions are often performed under general anesthesia. After the tooth is extracted, a blood clot usually forms in your socket. The dentist will use a gauze pad to stop the bleeding. In some instances, the dentist may stitch the extracted site.

How to Take Care of Your Teeth After Extractions?

Your teeth may take 7-10 days to heal completely if taken care of properly. Keeping the blood clot in place in the tooth’s socket is important as dislodging may cause a very painful dry socket.  The following tips can help make the recovery process faster:

• Rest for 24hours after the procedure and limit any activity for a couple of days.
• Rinse your mouth with salt solution after 24hours. The salt solution should be made with eight ounces of warm water and half a teaspoon of salt.
• Apply an ice bag on the area immediately after the operation, only for 10minutes at a time. Leaving it for too long can cause tissue damage.
• Taking your prescribed painkillers
• Leave the gauze pad in place for at least three hours after the operation.
• Do not rinse or spit or use a straw for 24 hours after the procedure to avoid dislodging the blood clot.
• Avoid smoking.
• Continue flossing and brushing your teeth to keep infecting away, but avoid the extraction site.
• Prop your head with pillows while sleeping, as lying flat may prolong your healing.

How to Manage Pain After Tooth Extraction

It is normal to experience some soreness, discomfort, or pain after your extraction. You may also experience some swelling in your face. The painkillers prescribed by your dentist will help alleviate some of these symptoms. Your dentist may also recommend some over-the-counter medications.

If our symptoms do not improve after two or three days, you will have to contact your dentist. However, if the pain worsens several days later, then visit our dentist at Whitaker Family Dentistry immediately so that they can detect the cause of the problem or rule out any infection.

Foods to Eat After Your Tooth Extraction

Your dentist will recommend taking soft foods for a week after the tooth extraction. The soft foods may include:

• Soup
• Pudding
• Applesauce
• Yogurt

You can also have some smoothies, but you need to use a spoon while taking them. As the extraction site heals, you can incorporate more solid foods into your diet.

After a healing period of at most two weeks, you are most likely to get back to your regular diet. New gum and bone tissue will also grow over the extraction site.