Your natural teeth play an important role in your overall oral health. Specifically, the stimulation your teeth provide for your jawbone through actions like chewing helps maintain the bone structure. When you lose a tooth, the corresponding area in the jawbone can quickly begin to lose bone tissue. After an extraction, your oral surgeon may recommend a bone graft to strengthen the bone and prepare the site for a dental implant after healing is complete.
Tooth extraction uses local anesthesia to numb the region. Other anesthesia options, such as IV sedation, are often offered to minimize your discomfort and keep you relaxed during the procedure. Usually, after you have been properly sedated, your oral surgeon will remove the tooth from its socket — although teeth must sometimes be sectioned in half first to allow for more efficient removal. The procedure takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour, and recovery and final results are safe and predictable.
After your procedure, there are some important tooth extraction aftercare protocols to follow. Be on the lookout for:
Blood Clots Clotting in the removal site is very important directly following your procedure to stop bleeding and begin the healing process. Dr. Rozanski and Dr. Schlieder will recommend you place gauze in your mouth for you to bite down on gently over the next hour following removal. Another trick is to bite on a tea bag. The tannins in the tea help stop bleeding.
Straws and Smoking The vacuum force generated by sucking on a straw or inhaling a cigarette, chewing tobacco, or the use of most other tobacco products can dislodge the blood clot, leading to a painful condition known as a “dry socket."
Pain Patients may experience soreness around the site as the anesthesia wears off over the next couple of days. Pain is usually manageable with the application of ice to bring down swelling and the use of over-the-counter pain medicine. Use of prescription medicines will be discussed before your surgery.
Note Our office will give you specific aftercare instructions before your procedure, and our office team will be on hand to answer any questions over the following days.
