What is a tooth extraction?
Dental specialists and oral specialists eliminate teeth for different reasons.
Some examples include:
- tooth decay
- gum disease
- dental infections
- Trauma or injury to a tooth or surrounding bone
- Wisdom tooth complications
- Dental preparation
- Preparing for orthodontics if teeth are very crowded
- Child teeth not dropping out at the right age
Species
The correct type of tooth extraction depends on the tooth’s shape, size, position and location in the mouth.
Dental surgeons may classify tooth extractions as simple or surgical. A simple extraction involves a tooth emerging above the gums that the dentist can remove in one piece.
Surgical extraction is more complex and involves removing gum tissue, bone, or both. The surgeon may need to remove the tooth as a cut.
Wisdom teeth are the last to erupt and are usually the first to need extraction because in many people they are affected. This means that they are not completely out of the gum.
Wisdom tooth extraction is a common procedure in oral surgery.
Preparation
The person will have a consultation with the dentist or oral surgeon before the extraction.
During the counsel, the specialist will request an intensive clinical history. They will also ask about any medications the person is taking.
Some people need to stop or start taking certain medications in the days before surgery, depending on the amount of tooth, bone, or both to be removed.
A person may also receive certain medications on the day of surgery.
Stop blood thinners
Many people take blood-thinning medications to prevent blood clots from forming in the vessels. These drugs can prompt more draining during a medical procedure.
A dental specialist can typically control draining at the site of the extraction by:
- Use of topical anticoagulants on the gums
- Filling the tooth socket with soluble foam or gauze
- suture the extraction site
Applying gauze and pressure after the procedure can also help stop the bleeding.
However, anyone taking blood thinners should tell their dental surgeon during the consultation.
In order to know if a person should temporarily switch to a different blood thinner or stop taking this type of medication, the surgeon may need to see the results of a recent blood test.
Usually, people do not need to stop taking blood thinners before tooth extraction. Anyone considering discontinuing this treatment should consult their dentist or doctor first.
Start antibiotics
In a few cases, the dentist may prescribe antibiotics before tooth extraction.
For example, they may do this to treat dental infections with pervasive symptoms, such as fever or malaise, along with local mouth swelling.
Toothache without swelling does not require antibiotics. Always take antibiotics exactly as directed by your doctor, and avoid unnecessary use.
A person may need antibiotics if they have a high risk of developing infective endocarditis, an infection of the heart valves or the inner lining of the heart chambers.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), people with certain heart conditions have an increased risk of developing this infection after dental surgery.
Therefore, the American Heart Association and the American Dental Association recommend that people with any of the following take antibiotics before dental surgery to reduce the risk of infection:
- Artificial heart valve
- A history of heart valve repair with artificial materials
- Heart transplantation with structural valve abnormalities
- Some congenital heart defects
- A history of infective endocarditis
Anesthesia during surgery
The person will have an injection of a local anesthetic near the site of the extraction. This will numb the area so the person will not feel any pain. The numbness will continue for a few hours after surgery.
A person can order additional anesthetic or sedative medication to reduce anxiety during the procedure.
Your dentist or surgeon may offer:
- Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas
- Oral sedative
- Intravenous or IV sedation
- general anesthetic
The person receiving a general anesthetic will be completely asleep during the procedure.
Some dentists do not have the above options in their office. If anyone needs any of these, they should tell their dentist during the consultation, and the dentist may refer them to an oral surgeon.