Sometimes a tooth cannot be kept. At Dentistry For You in Broken Arrow, extraction is the last option rather than the first, and we will tell you plainly when a tooth could still be saved and when it genuinely cannot.
The usual reasons are decay that has destroyed too much of the tooth to restore, a fracture that runs below the gum into the root, advanced gum disease that has lost the bone holding the tooth in, and infection that has not resolved.
There are also planned extractions: a wisdom tooth that is impacted, or teeth removed to make room as part of orthodontic treatment.
A tooth that hurts is not automatically a tooth that has to go. Plenty of teeth that feel beyond saving are treatable with a root canal and a crown. We would rather go through that first.
A simple extraction is for a tooth that is fully through the gum and accessible. The area is numbed, the tooth is loosened in its socket and lifted out. Most take a few minutes.
A surgical extraction is needed when a tooth is broken at the gum line, has not come through, or has roots that will not come out in one piece. It involves a small incision, sometimes removing a little bone, and often sectioning the tooth so it comes out in pieces. It takes longer and the recovery is a few days more.
Call the front desk and we will find you a time that works.
Wisdom teeth arrive in the late teens or twenties, when there is frequently no room for them.
A wisdom tooth that has come through straight and can be brushed does not need removing. The problems come from the ones that are impacted or only partly through. A partly erupted wisdom tooth has a flap of gum over it that traps food and bacteria and cannot be cleaned, which leads to repeated infections. An impacted one can press on the tooth in front and cause decay on a surface nobody can reach.
We watch their position on X-rays through the teenage years so that if they do need removing, it happens before there is a problem rather than during one.
A blood clot forms in the socket and is what protects the bone underneath while it heals. Keeping it in place is the whole job for the first day.
Bite firmly on the gauze for 30 to 45 minutes. Then, for the first 24 hours, do not rinse, spit, smoke or drink through a straw, because all four create suction or pressure that pulls the clot out. No alcohol and no hot drinks. Rest, and keep your head propped up.
After the first day, rinse gently with warm salt water several times daily, particularly after eating. Keep brushing your other teeth normally and go gently around the site. Take pain relief before the numbness wears off rather than waiting.
If the clot is lost, the bone is exposed and the result is a deep constant ache, often spreading to the ear, that typically starts three to five days after the extraction. It is more common after lower wisdom teeth and much more common in smokers.
It is not dangerous and it is treatable. Come in and we will clean and dress the socket, which usually brings relief quickly.
Unless it was a wisdom tooth, think about what fills the gap. Teeth drift into a space and the opposite tooth over-erupts, and the bone in the gap shrinks over time.
The options are an implant, a bridge or a partial denture. It is worth discussing before the extraction, because an implant placed sooner often avoids needing a bone graft later.
Call (918) 355-1391 or use the contact form.
The area is numbed, so you feel firm pressure and movement rather than pain. Tell us if you feel anything sharp and we will add more anaesthetic. Discomfort afterwards is normal for a few days and usually manageable with over-the-counter pain relief.
A blood clot forms in the socket and protects the bone underneath. If it is dislodged, the exposed bone causes a deep ache that usually starts three to five days later. Avoid it by not smoking, not using a straw, not rinsing hard and not spitting for the first 24 hours. If it happens, come in; we can dress the socket and it settles quickly.
No. A wisdom tooth that has come through straight, has room and can be cleaned is fine left alone. The ones that cause trouble are impacted or partly through, because the gum flap over them traps bacteria and they are impossible to clean properly.
Soft food for the first day or two, chewing on the other side, and avoid anything very hot. Most people are back to normal within a few days for a simple extraction and about a week for a surgical one.
We will tell you first whether the tooth can be saved. Extraction is the last option, not the first.