While your El Paso, TX, dentist strive to preserve and protect your natural teeth, sometimes maintaining optimal oral health actually means removing teeth, such as wisdom teeth or those developing severe infections. In today’s blog, we’re going to look at how we extract teeth, and what steps we can take to place them with a lifelike prosthetic.
The Removal Process
We will start by discussing what to expect from the procedure. We may suggest avoiding large meals in the six to eight hours before the procedure, and will administer a local anesthetic to the area around the tooth. For some, we may discuss dental anesthesia to help them enter a calm and relaxed state, with little to memory of the procedure afterward. For wisdom teeth, we will open the area above the teeth and gently remove them, suturing the area closed afterward. For other situations, we may simply rock the tooth back and forth and remove it with forceps, again suturing the area closed. You will need a friend or family member to bring you home afterward, as sedation takes time to wear off. We will discuss proper care to avoid complications and ensure a comfortable and fast healing period. You will then return for a follow-up visit so we can remove the sutures.
When Does a Tooth Need to Be Extracted?
Wisdom teeth are additional molars that arrive in our late teens and early 20s, and can lead to painful impaction, misalignment, damaged teeth, and infections. Removing them protects the health and beauty of the smile. We may also remove severely infected teeth, which could spread infection and cause serious pain. Extractions could address teeth loosened by gum disease or teeth with major damage. When correcting misalignment, we may need to take out a tooth to make room to reposition the others. As you can see, this procedure is often necessary to help you gain your healthiest smile possible.
Can You Replace My Lost Tooth?
If you lose a tooth to infection or damage, then you will have an unsightly gap in your smile. To help you regain a full smile and avoid the complications of tooth loss, we may discuss possible replacement options. For minor tooth loss, we could place a dental bridge or a single tooth dental implant. A full or partial denture could help with from severe cases of tooth loss. If you have any questions about restorative care, then contact our team today.
SUNNY SMILES IN EL PASO OFFERS SAFE AND COMFORTABLE EXTRACTION
At Sunny Smiles in El Paso, TX, our team can help protect the health and beauty of the smile by offering extraction and other restorative treatments. If you have questions about our treatment options, then please call our East El Paso location on N. Zaragoza Road at 915-849-9000!