A bad tooth is a cause for immediate removal or extraction. Tooth extraction procedures for children up to nineteen years old have become prevalent, with procedures commonly done in hospitals.
A tooth is eligible for removal by the dentist if it meets the following criteria:
- Presence of periodontal disease
Some teeth may be severely affected by periodontal diseases, prompting their immediate removal. In addition, if the tooth has decayed to the point that it cannot be salvaged, an immediate tooth removal or extraction is necessary.
- Infection
Infection and tooth decay sometimes extend to the inner cavity of the tooth. This becomes so deeply ingrained inside the tooth that root canal therapy or antibiotics fail to treat it. This ultimately leads to decay and decomposition of the tooth, prompting the dentist to schedule an extraction.
- Compromised immune system
In the event the immune system is compromised due to chronic diseases or one is scheduled to go for an organ transplant, a tooth with a high risk of infection needs to be pulled out to prevent possible risks to other medical procedures.
- Orthodontia
Abnormalities in the mouth and jaw may result in tooth extraction and removal. This is often common when the mouth is overcrowded, and teeth cannot fully break out from the gum. In such cases, the best orthodontist like one from Kumra Orthodontics recommends a tooth extraction.
- Presence of abscess
Some teeth get abscesses around the gums, and this may hamper the teeth causing them to decay. When this happens, the orthodontist will seek to extract the tooth.
- Impacted wisdom teeth
When wisdom teeth do not come out properly, they become impacted, causing severe pain, discomfort, swelling, and infection. This is reason enough to get the teeth removed.
The procedure of tooth extraction
A visit to the orthodontist will seek to determine the procedure of tooth extraction. An assessment will ensure that the tooth or teeth up for extraction has been rightly identified and is eligible for removal.
The orthodontist will then review the patient’s medical history and consider various X-rays, which consider the shape and structure of the teeth. The X-rays of the teeth highlight the different tooth positions and gives the orthodontist a picture of how to remove the tooth from the patient’s mouth.
Once the tooth for extraction has been identified, the orthodontist will apply local anaesthesia to the patient to aid with the extraction process.
The following are the types of tooth extraction processes:
- Simple extraction
This includes a simple extraction of the affected tooth after anaesthesia. The tooth is then loosed with an elevator by the orthodontist before removing it with dental forceps. This simple procedure ensures the tooth is adequately removed.
- Surgical extraction
This is a complex extraction process that requires extracting a tooth that has broken off at the gum or failed to come off after a previous extraction process. The orthodontist ensures that the patient’s obstructive tooth is removed, giving them leeway to have to make incisions into the patient’s mouth for tooth extraction. In addition, the surgeon can seek to employ intravenous anaesthesia that puts the patient to sleep during the procedure.
Each procedure requires an intervention from an external person to make sure that the effects of the procedure do not rub off negatively on the patient. The patient can stay with the patient and monitor them until the effects of the anaesthesia wear off.
In severe instances, the anaesthesia will ensure the patient sleeps during the procedure. If the tooth is too hard to be pulled, the orthodontist will pull the tooth, rocking it back and forth until it disintegrates, making it possible to be extracted in pieces. After the tooth has been pulled, a blood clot constantly forms on the gums, causing the teeth to be susceptible to infection. The orthodontist or dentist will place a gauze with stitches on the bleeding as it will be self-dissolving.
The stitches help to protect the gums as they close the edges of the gums. The orthodontist or dentist will then place a dressing over the gum socket, protecting it as the new blood clot forms. However, the extraction or pulling of the teeth can result in the gum releasing harmful bacteria into the bloodstream. This can consequently lead to an infection, placing the patient in a high-risk scenario.
Before the tooth is pulled out, it is paramount to tell the orthodontist about any underlying issues and conditions that the patient might have. For instance, the patient can highlight some common issuers that they might face such as, liver disease, damaged heart conditions, history of bacteria, and congenital heart defects.
Aftercare process
After the tooth extraction, the dentist or orthodontist will require the patient to bite into gauze to prevent bacteria and infection from spreading through the tooth. The gauze has antiseptic and sterile properties. In addition, the gauze helps to check the bleeding and preventing excess bleeding by keeping the clotting in place.
After the tooth extraction process, the patient should take due care and consideration to ensure that the gum and surrounding teeth are safe from external effects. Therefore, patients are advised not to brush vigorously or rinse their mouth extensively to have the area heal well. In addition, the patient is required to take painkillers as prescribed.
Things to consider
It is incredibly vital to visit a professional and certified orthodontist like Fort Wayne dentists for tooth extraction. Botched tooth extraction may lead to severe postoperative infections. It is best to apply ice bags to keep the swelling at a minimum. The infections gotten from the procedure might lead to death and irreversible complications. It is essential to ensure that the orthodontist has experience in tooth extraction and has high success and recovery rates.
After the procedure, the tooth area is susceptible, thus requiring the orthodontist to prescribe a painkiller to the patient to aid with the healing process. In addition, it is advisable to rinse the mouth with salty water or water infused with an antibiotic and refrain from drinking with a straw or smoking.
Ingesting soft and soluble foods is advisable, and steering clear from brushing or flossing the affected area is paramount.
