Tooth extraction refers to surgical removal of teeth. The primary reason for tooth removal can be chronic tooth infection or impaction of wisdom tooth, or carious unrestorable teeth. The rise of wisdom teeth at an adult age in improper angles can cause pain to the patients. These teeth must be removed as early as possible to get rid of pain in older age. Other reasons for tooth extraction include cosmetic dentistry where surgery like tooth removal is performed to provide dental makeover. The patient is given an appropriate dose of local anesthesia while removal of teeth for painless surgery.
Tooth extraction must be done only after consulting a dentist. The OPG X Ray report will better predict the need of having a tooth extraction surgery. Some of the symptoms that may record the need for tooth removal includes:
- Jaw pain
- Bad breath
- Unpleasant taste
- Difficulty in mouth opening
- Swollen gums
- Swelling around the jaw
Types of tooth extraction:
Three types of tooth extraction procedure are followed that need minor and major surgery depending on the case study. Some of the most common types of tooth removal includes:
- Simple tooth extraction: In this technique, the dentist doesn’t need access to do surgery on the gum line. Simple tooth extraction is done when the gums are loosely connected with the teeth. The dentist takes the help of a forceps to remove it without causing any major damage to the gum line or tooth muscles.
- Impacted tooth extraction: It is usually done for extraction of wisdom teeth. The growth of wisdom teeth in improper angles make it stuck on the jawbone. After proper imaging with x-ray the position of the stucked wisdom teeth is confirmed, an oral surgery on the gum line (flap is made). The gums are stitched again after the removal of teeth.
- Tooth roots removal: There are cases where the root of the tooth gets clearly differentiated with the above crown. In such cases, chewed food get stuck in the mid-way and improves greater chances to damage to cause microbial infection in the root canal region. The tooths are therefore removed from the roots to save the nearby teeth from infections.
Risk and complications of tooth extraction:
There are few complications of tooth extraction like other surgery. But, if the surgery is not followed with expert hands then the patients might suffer. Some of the most common complications includes:
- Post surgical infection: Sometimes, due to improper aftercare the surgical wound also get prone to microbial infection.
- Nerve injury: Due to improper angular arrangement of wisdom teeth inside the jaw bone, sometimes the nerve passes very closely to the tooth region. The chances of injury to the trigeminal nerve is possible while extraction of wisdom teeth.
- Delayed healing: The healing procedure may delay depending on the size of the wound. The natural healing ability differs from patient to patient.
Tooth extraction aftercare:
After the completion of surgery, the patient must take care of the below after care guidelines:
- Clean the extraction site: An antimicrobial mouthwash must be used to clean the area of surgery for inhibiting the bacterial growth. The patient should also avoid brushing at the area of the tooth surgery until the final call of the dentist.
- Avoid strenuous activity: It is advised not to eat chickpea or foods that can put more pressure on the tooth muscle while chewing. Stop going to gym or doing heavy workouts for some day until the surgery get healed.
- Avoid smoking: In case of major surgery, it is recommended to avoid smoking for a few days. The chemical toxins coming out of cigarette shows anti-platelet activity which can delay the natural healing process.
