Extractions

Good oral hygiene should always be practiced, since the loss of a single tooth can have a major impact upon your oral health and appearance. Although our professionalGrand Rapids dentists will use every measure to prevent tooth loss, it is still sometimes necessary to extract a tooth.

After careful examination and treatment, Great Lake Dental Care’s extraction dentist may advise you to have a tooth extracted. Before a tooth is removed, your Grand Rapids dentist will take an x-ray in order to better understand the shape and position of the tooth and surrounding bone. Based on the degree of difficulty, we may refer you to a specialist called an oral surgeon.

A tooth may need to be extracted in the case of:

• Severe decay
• Advanced periodontal disease
• Infection or abscess
• Orthodontic correction
• Mal-positioned teeth
• Fractured teeth or roots
• Impacted teeth

Tooth Extraction Process

For a simple extraction, we will first apply a local anesthetic to prevent pain and discomfort. The tooth will be loosened with a tool called an elevator and then removed with dental forceps. Once the procedure is complete, the area may be closed with one or two stitches.

It is critical to keep the extraction area clean to prevent infection. We will provide you with dry, sterile gauze to bite down on for 30-45 minutes to limit bleeding while clotting takes place. For the next 24 hours, you shouldn't smoke, rinse your mouth vigorously or brush the teeth directly next to the extraction site.

A certain amount of pain and discomfort is to be expected following an extraction, which can be minimized with a pain-killer and ice packs applied to the face for 15 minutes at a time. After a routine extraction, discomfort should lessen within three days to two weeks. If you experience prolonged or severe pain, swelling, bleeding or fever, contact us immediately.