Tooth extraction may be recommended or necessary for several reasons including overcrowding, infection, and severe damage. Considered the treatment of last resort, Dr. Jason Baldwin will recommend an extraction when it is in the best interest of your overall dental health.
Dr. Baldwin performs tooth extraction in the comfort of our spa-like dentist office. He offers relaxation and sedation options to help you feel stress-free during the procedure.
Tooth Extractions: What To Expect
Dr. Baldwin will discuss all aspects of your tooth extraction, including appropriate teeth replacement options when necessary. You may receive a dose of antibiotics prior to your procedure to avoid infection and will be given post-care instructions to minimize any pain, swelling, or bleeding you may experience.
Over-the-counter pain relievers and cold compresses on the exterior of the cheek are typically sufficient and will promote healing. It is recommended that patients avoid smoking, vigorous brushing and rinsing, and drinking liquids through straws for a period of time after the extraction to allow the tissues to heal and avoid infection.
Wisdom Tooth Extraction
Dr. Baldwin will monitor the development of wisdom teeth in young adult patients and make the recommendation for extraction when deemed necessary for long-term dental health. In most cases, the wisdom teeth affect neighboring teeth and cause bite problems when teeth become too crowded. For lifelong dental health and to avoid having teeth shift, the wisdom teeth are removed after they have erupted.
If impacted wisdom teeth in an adult patient have become infected, common signs and symptoms are swelling, pain and infection.
In some situations, Dr. Baldwin may perform a wisdom teeth extraction in our Truckee office, but in situations where teeth are impacted and affecting the bone, you may be referred to a local oral surgeon for care.
Teeth Replacement Options
After your tooth or teeth have been extracted, we recommend you replace them as soon as possible. Dr. Baldwin is an experienced restorative dentist and offers a range of options to replace your extracted teeth, depending on the location and how many teeth have been removed.
- Dental Bridge – A removable dental bridge is used when a patient is missing one or two consecutive teeth and will attach to the two natural adjacent teeth.
- Dentures and Partials – A full denture is a removable dental restoration used to replace an entire arch of teeth on the top or bottom jaw. A partial denture is a removable restoration used to replace several missing teeth. It will literally fill in the gaps in your smile.
- Implant-Supported Dental Crown – This is what Dr. Baldwin will often recommend when a patient has a single tooth extracted. It involves a single implant surgically placed in the jaw bone to replace the tooth root with a dental crown attached to it.
- Implant-Supported Dental Bridge – This restoration is used to replace several consecutive missing teeth. It involves two dental implants being surgically placed on either side of the gap with the dental bridge attached to them.
- Implant-Supported Denture – If a patient is unfortunate enough to need all their teeth extracted, a denture implant is the best option to replace them. As few as four dental implants are surgically placed into your jaw bone with the denture attached to them.
Tooth Extraction FAQs
What happens during a tooth extraction?
First, your dentist will thoroughly numb the entire area around the tooth with a local anesthetic to ensure your comfort. Using special tools, Dr. Baldwin will begin to loosen the tooth by gently rocking it back and forth. This is a fairly routine procedure however, if you are feeling nervous about it, we offer several sedation options.
How can I help the extraction site heal faster?
The best thing you can do to ensure proper and fast healing is to follow all your after-care instructions. This includes eating a soft diet for a few days, do not use a straw for 24 hours, icing the affected area if swelling is present, avoiding smoking for a few days, do not spit for 24 hours, and do not take any blood-thinning medication such as aspirin.
What happens if my tooth is impacted?
If your tooth is impacted, you may need to be referred to an oral surgeon. An impacted tooth requires a surgical extraction. This is because gum tissue or bone may need to be removed to access the tooth. Dr. Baldwin can perform a simple extraction from the comforts of his Truckee, CA dentist office where the tooth is visible above the gum line and can be accessed easily.
How do I know if I need to have my wisdom teeth removed?
Growing wisdom teeth can cause mild discomfort in the mouth as they emerge from your gums. However, if you experience extensive pain and discomfort then it’s best to get your teeth checked right away. If you experience these symptoms, you should schedule a dental exam as soon as possible:
- Infection on molars
- Pain or discomfort, especially near wisdom teeth
- Loose or shifting teeth
- Gum disease near back teeth
- Tooth decay
Does getting your wisdom teeth pulled hurt?
Making sure our patients are relaxed and comfortable during their dental treatment is important to us. To ensure that patients are able to feel comfortable and allow Dr. Baldwin to safely perform their dental treatment, we offer a range of sedation dentistry services. After treatment, we will provide detailed aftercare instructions to make sure you take care of your mouth as it heals.