Five Things to Avoid After Tooth Extraction
What Is a Tooth Extraction?
It is a procedure for removing a natural tooth from the mouth. Tooth extractions near you aim to preserve your oral health by mitigating the danger caused by a diseased tooth. It is safe to say that tooth extractions typically target damaged teeth.
When Do Dentists Perform Tooth Extractions?
Various factors can prompt a dentist at Forrest Tower DDS to remove your natural tooth. Some of the reasons you need a tooth extraction in Oak Lawn, IL, are:
- Decayed tooth – severe dental decay merits tooth removal. A dentist will recommend a tooth extraction if the structural component of the tooth is far too damaged for restoration through root canal therapy.
- Periodontitis – is an advanced stage of gum disease that weakens the stability of teeth. When the gums and bone tissue are infected, teeth start shaking. A dentist can recommend tooth removal to treat periodontitis.
- Impacted teeth – are problematic teeth that grow improperly, especially when there is little room in the mouth for all teeth to fit in well. Impacted teeth remain partially or fully stuck under the gums, causing pain in your jaws and gums.
- Crowded mouth – even though dentists typically pull out natural teeth when damaged, sometimes a healthy tooth must be removed for the general wellbeing of your oral cavity. A crowded mouth means that you do not have sufficient room in your jawbone for all your teeth to align well. In orthodontic dentistry, removing one of your teeth can create needed space to straighten your teeth with braces.
What to Expect with Tooth Extractions
Simple tooth extraction procedures entail shaking a tooth back and forth until it detaches from the socket. The dentist will use local anesthesia to make the process painless. However, not all tooth extractions are simple. Sometimes teeth are stubborn, meriting invasive protocols to remove them. An oral surgeon will cut your gums, exposing the bone tissue blocking your tooth. Further, (s)he may break the tooth into small pieces for easy extraction. It differs from one patient to another. Depending on the procedure’s invasiveness, the dentist can choose to employ sedation dentistry, calming your nerves to promote relaxation.
Tooth extraction procedures will only be successful if you can take great care of your mouth after the procedure. The reason is that you can risk infecting the extraction wound before it heals. Some of the symptoms you will experience immediately after tooth extraction are:
- Bleeding
- Swelling
- Sore and tender gums
- Dental pain
- Headaches
Things to Avoid After Tooth Extraction
The success of any dental procedure is reinforced during the recovery period. Immediately after your treatment, you must embrace a different lifestyle to support the new changes in your oral cavity. Some of the things you must avoid after tooth extraction are:
- Smoking – tobacco is generally bad for your oral health. However, smoking after a tooth extraction is worse. It will slow down the healing while increasing the risk of infection. Besides, smoking will break down the blood clot, causing the wound to keep bleeding days after the initial procedure. A dentist near you will recommend avoiding smoking for the first 14 days to a month after tooth extraction.
- Hard foods – if you over-exert your mouth soon after a tooth extraction, you may open up the stitches on the wound or cause severe dental pain.
- Drinking with straws – will introduce dry air into your mouth, leading to a dry socket. Dry socket syndrome causes extensive dental pain after tooth extraction.
- Dislodging the blood clot – a clot will begin to form on the extraction wound to initiate the healing process. If you keep dislodging the blood clot, you will slow down your healing. Resist the urge to put your tongue in the wound. Avoid any sharpies that might re-open the wound, causing bleeding and significant dental pain.
- Aggressive teeth brushing – even though you should keep your mouth clean, be gentle. The best way to keep a clean mouth without aggravating your wound is by changing your toothbrush. Get a soft-bristled toothbrush to get you through the first few weeks of recovery. Be cautious also when rinsing your mouth. Do not use too much force, placing unnecessary pressure on the extraction wound.