With crowns, fillings, and other restorative treatments, we strive to help preserve your natural teeth and treat decay and infection. However, in some situations the best option for your smile may involve removing a tooth completely. But once we remove a tooth, what’s next? In today’s blog, your Greenville, TX, dentist discusses what comes next following a dental extraction!
Wisdom Teeth
Our wisdom teeth, also referred to as third molars, are up to four additional molars that arrive as we enter our late teens and early 20s. For a small segment of the population, these teeth don’t pose much of a threat, but for most of us they can lead to a high risk of painful impaction, damaged teeth, infection, misalignment, and other uncomfortable complications. In order to protect your smile’s health, alignment, and stability, we may remove these teeth prior to eruption, opening the area of the jaw above them and gently extracting them, then suturing the area closed.
Other Causes for Tooth Removal
Wisdom teeth are not the only reason we prescribe dental extraction. We may need to remove a tooth to make room to reposition the others and correct advanced cases of misalignment. We could also address infected or damaged teeth, preventing the spread of infection to surrounding teeth. The procedure may also be necessary if you have a tooth loosened by periodontitis, the advanced stage of gum disease.
What Comes Next?
Following a tooth’s extraction, we will suture the area closed and send you home. Since the sedation we use during the procedure helps you enter a calm and relaxed state, and the effects take time to wear off, you should arrange for a friend or family member to bring you home. We will also provide detailed aftercare instructions, such as consuming soft foods like soup for the first couple of days, not prodding the area with your tongue, and instructions for taking any prescribed antibiotics or pain medications. You will return for a follow-up visit so we can monitor the area as it heals and remove the sutures. If you lose a tooth to injury or infection, we can eventually discuss replacement options to fill the gap in your smile, such as dental bridges or even a single tooth dental implant. If you have any questions about treating your smile or about how we handle extractions and tooth replacement, then contact our team today.
Do You Have Questions About Dental Extraction?
We would love to help you enjoy optimal oral health with an array of restorative treatment options. For more information on restoring smiles, then schedule a consultation by calling Smith Family Dentistry in Greenville, TX, today at 903-455-5750. We proudly serve patients from Hunt County, Greenville, and all surrounding communities.