When a tooth is damaged, broken, or decayed, your dentist will try to fix it with a filling or other type of dental treatment. However, if it is not repairable, your dentist or dental surgeon will then proceed with removing / extracting it completely from it’s socket.
What are some other reasons why people need to get teeth removed?
- Baby teeth don’t always fall out in time for permanent teeth to come in
- There may be a tooth that is blocking another one from coming in
- People who are getting braces may need teeth extracted to make room for other teeth to move properly into place
- People who are getting radiation treatment or taking cancer drugs may need to get weakened teeth removed
- If teeth are infected
- If your wisdom teeth are getting in the way (also known as third molars)
There are two kinds of tooth removal:
Simple tooth extractions – when the tooth can still be seen in your mouth, your dentist loosens the tooth and removes it.
Surgical tooth extraction – when a tooth has not erupted in the mouth or has broken off at the gums, your oral surgeon makes an incision in your gum to remove the broken tooth or impacted wisdom tooth
Key Things to Know About Caring for Yourself AFTER Tooth Removal:
- To reduce and/or prevent swelling, place ice packs on your face, 20 minutes on…20 minutes off
- Swish your mouth with warm salt water (24 hours after surgery)
- Eat soft and cold foods (stock up before your procedure, as you likely won’t feel like going grocery shopping after)
- Stay away from using straws or spitting, as this can create a dry socket (pull the blood clot from the hole where the tooth was)
- Don’t smoke (if you do smoke, this is another great reason to quit)
Looking for tooth extraction in Surrey? Call us at New England Oral & Facial Surgery: 604-507-0514 to book a consultation.