Today we’re gonna be talking about tooth extraction. What is it? Why do we do it? How do we heal? What’s the best way to heal? And how do we set ourselves up for success after the healing to replace that missing tooth?
Why Do Teeth Need to Be Extracted?
The first question we get is, why does my tooth have to be extracted? And in our practice, we tend to be very conservative. We want to save teeth at every step we can, but unfortunately, sometimes the situation has reached the point where we can’t save that tooth.
Whether that’s a fractured tooth from trauma whether that’s a filling that’s just gotten too big and there’s not enough tooth to put a cray on there, or whether the decay or a root canals fail, or there’s infection in the tooth and there’s not enough healthy bone around that tooth to maintain it.
Planning for the Future
So the first step when we decide that a tooth needs to be extracted is we need a plan for its replacement in the future.
If it’s a wisdom tooth or if it’s a back tooth that we’re not planning on. Replacing the treatment plan is a little bit different than if we’re trying to preserve the area for future treatment, whether that’s an implant or a bridge.
The Extraction Procedure
The process is very straightforward. Once we’ve got you completely numb, we remove the actual tooth and any root structure that’s down in the bone. And then a lot of times, depending on the resulting socket or the area, we can pack bone in there and we close the tissue over to allow the body to heal.
The First 48 Hours: Rest is Key
It’s very important that you listen to all our instructions for home care, that first 24 to 48 hours after the extraction. The main take home message is you need to rest. Your body’s been through a traumatic procedure that needs time to heal and to support that healing.
There Are a Couple of Hard Rules That We Really Request That You Follow:
Aftercare Rule #1: Avoid Strenuous Activity
The first one is no strenuous exercise. We don’t want you going out and hitting the gym. We don’t want you going out and, and running or pushing or exerting yourself because your body needs to rest and recover and focus the tension on the area that had the extraction.
Aftercare Rule #2: Careful Eating and Drinking
As far as eating and drinking goes, you know, it’s an open surgical site and so we want you to avoid anything really sharp. Anything with little tiny pits or anything with little tiny parts and pieces that can get down in that extraction site. The majority of time we will suture over and completely seal and close the tissue together, but it’s still gonna be an open wound that the body has to heal.
Aftercare Rule #3: No Suction!
The next step is we want you to avoid any kind of sucking action through a straw, cigarette, cigar vape pen. The problem with that is that process creates a lot of pressure in the mouth and you can actually dislodge the blood clot and what the blood clot does.
It maintains all the good, healthy stuff in that area so the body can really fix and heal. And if you draw that clot out in addition to causing pain, you can also cause a problem called dry socket, which is not fun to deal with, very painful, and can be easily avoided if you follow the right directions.
Don’t Worry: Extractions Can Be Simple
I don’t mean to scare you because extractions are very straightforward and with proper home care and in a great dental office, they can be very inconsequential, and you can get back to your daily life in 24 to 48 hours. But we just wanna make sure that we approach it with knowledge and we approach it in a way that’s gonna help you heal the best.
Tip: Use Tea Bags for Bleeding
Another thing we like to tell our patients is if you feel like you’re having some oozing or some bleeding at home, I would recommend biting on some tea bags.
What that’s gonna do, it’s gonna stop the swelling, gonna stop the oozing and really get the tissue to kind of close over and heal at a quicker rate.
Healing Timeline: What to Expect
The typical timeline from an extraction is the first 24-48 hours. It’s the most discomforting, healing, and feeling exposed and tender. Generally, at 3-7 days, most of that tissue healing is closed over, and the area’s a lot less tender and sensitive.
Once you hit that 2-4 week mark, that’s where the tissue is completely healed. And now we’re just waiting on the underlying bone to kind of reshape and remodel. And once you hit that 3-6 mark, that’s generally when the bone has healed itself. The area is nice and stable. And at that point, that’s when we go in and either do the final bridge or we start the process of implant placement.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Be Afraid
Extractions can be scary, but they don’t have to be. With the proper planning and proper treatment, and awareness of what to expect and how to handle any kind of discomfort, it can be a pretty smooth procedure. And unfortunately, it’s a necessity in some situations.
We’re Here to Help
The best way to handle it is to come to a dental practice. It’s gonna walk you through the whole process, hold your hand and make sure it’s a pleasant experience.
I’m Dr. Brett Langston. I’m here to help you watch your mouth!
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