Tooth Extractions
Stratford, CT
By the age of 17, 7% of Americans have managed to lose at least one tooth - usually because of tooth decay. By the time an adult reaches 44, 70% of them have lost a tooth due to tooth decay, gum disease, accidents or injuries. Many Americans have lost as many as 12 teeth by the time they reach 50. At age 75%, over a quarter of Americans have lost all of their teeth and have dentures or implants. Let’s face it - no one wants to lose all of their teeth. There are times, however, when a root canal isn't an option and you need to get a tooth removed. If you aren’t sure how the tooth removal process actually works, give Brush & Floss Dental Center a chance to talk to you about tooth removal.
Why Do Teeth Have to Be Removed?
There are several reasons a tooth has to be removed. We sometimes need to remove a tooth because of an accident or an injury. Teeth can break down to the gumline. When that happens, we need to remove what is left of the tooth because if we leave the tooth there, it might lead to an infection, which would put other teeth at risk. We also need to remove teeth if we need to make room because the teeth are too crowded. Sometimes we must pull baby teeth or permanent teeth, just to make more room. We also have to remove wisdom teeth, because they can become infected or cause you to have a lot of headaches or mouth pain.
The most common reason we remove teeth is because they are too damaged or decayed to remain in your mouth. Sometimes, you may have a crown or a filling, beneath which the tooth is too weak or damaged to save. We may need to remove it because we need to prevent infection.
How Does Tooth Removal Work?
Before we think about removing teeth, we need to check your health and what medications you’re taking. Depending on your health, or the medications you take, we may need to remove your tooth differently, or you may need to take additional medications. After we check your overall health, we can deaden the area around your tooth so that you are not in any pain. We also may give you something to relax you. If your tooth is intact, we can loosen it with an instrument and then we can remove it safely. If your tooth is broken off, or if it hasn’t erupted, we may have to cut into your gumline to remove your tooth.
Once we remove the tooth, you will need to follow our instructions. You may need to take over-the-counter pain relievers if you are in pain, but you may find that you are in much less pain once the tooth has been removed than you were before the tooth was extracted.
Do you have questions about tooth extractions? We can help. Give Brush & Floss Dental Center a call at (203) 683-5253. |
