Preserving your natural teeth is always our top priority. When you are suffering from gum disease, tooth decay, or injury, we will do everything possible to treat the problem and restore your smile. Unfortunately, if an infection is too bad or an injury too widespread, we may not be able to save your natural tooth. In this case, we may need to perform an extraction to ensure the rest of your mouth can heal.
But don’t worry! At New Roc Dental, our friendly team will do everything they can to make sure your visit is comfortable and stress-free. We will walk you through each step and decide together whether an extraction is the best option for you.
Why Would a Tooth Need to Be Extracted?
We always focus on maintaining your natural smile. When possible, we want to help our patients avoid unnecessary procedures. Often, we can restore a tooth injury or infection with a root canal, crown, or other treatment. Catching a dental health problem early allows us to treat the issue so your mouth can heal naturally.
Unfortunately, if an infection spreads too far into a tooth, or if a tooth is severely injured, we may not be able to save it. If we ignore a severe case like this, your surrounding teeth and gums could become damaged as well. Extractions are often the best way to avoid wide-spread damage and complications.
What Types of Extractions Are There?
There are two main types of extractions we do here at New Roc Dental – simple extractions and surgical extractions.
Most of the tooth removal procedures we do are simple extractions. These are categorized by how easily we can pull a tooth. For example, if a tooth can be seen above the gum line and can be pulled with a pair of dental forceps, this is called a simple extraction.
Do You Remove Wisdom Teeth?
Yes! Our team is equipped and trained to remove wisdom teeth. We generally take out wisdom teeth before they erupt above the gum line. To do this, we will need to perform a surgical extraction. Removing wisdom teeth before they have a chance to fully develop will help you avoid overcrowding, unnecessary discomfort, and potentially dangerous complications.
What Is the Recovery Process?
During your procedure, you won’t feel any pain. Once your anesthetic begins to wear off, we recommend taking an anti-inflammatory drug such as Advil or Motrin to help alleviate your discomfort. Holding a bag of ice against the outside of your cheek will help keep swelling down.
We will place a gauze pad in your mouth to keep your wound clean and help stop the bleeding. Please leave this in for at least three to four hours. Avoid rinsing, spitting, and eating solid foods for at least 24 hours. Do not smoke until your mouth has healed.
If you would like to learn more extractions or the recovery process, please give us a call at 914-235-8065. A friendly member of our team would be happy to answer your questions or schedule a consultation.