Although having a tooth pulled might sound painful, modern dentistry makes it a fairly straightforward process with minimized pain. At Better Way Dental, we try everything we can to ensure patients keep their natural teeth, offering other tooth-saving treatments like root canals and crowns. Sometimes, however, a tooth is either just too damaged or problematic to keep. Sometimes the case is a matter of overcrowded teeth or incoming wisdom teeth. On the other hand, many tooth extractions are prompted by conditions that make a tooth unsalvageable such as severe tooth decay, tooth impaction, gum disease, or traumatic dental injuries. In these cases, a tooth extraction may be necessary to protect a patient’s overall dental health.
What Happens During A Tooth Extraction?
A tooth extraction is a procedure during which the dentist removes or “pulls” a tooth. After carefully assessing X-rays and designing an operation plan, the dentist uses local anesthetics to numb the area and administers other anesthetics as necessary. Once the patient is sedated, the dentist uses special instruments to loosen and pull the tooth from the socket. Lastly, the socket is cleaned and stitched, and the procedure is finished.
After a tooth extraction, you will need to keep the area clean and follow brushing instructions recommended by Dr. Zhu. Most patients manage post-operation pain with over-the-counter medications containing acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Dr. Zhu may also advise against certain activities for a few days to ensure the body gets adequate recovery time. You will have a follow-up appointment within a couple weeks to ensure the socket is healing properly, but don’t hesitate to call Better Way if you are experiencing serious pain or potential complications from the procedure.
Sedation For Tooth Extraction
People get nervous going to the dentist’s office even for a routine cleaning, so we understand how unnerving a procedure is to some patients. That’s why Better Way Dental offers different sedation options to ease that apprehension. Patients commonly elect different types of sedation for tooth extractions depending on things like pain tolerance and gag reflex. If you need a tooth extraction in the Snoqualmie area, Dr. Zhu can walk you through the sedation options available at Better Way Dental.
Dental Implants
If you are concerned that having a tooth extraction will leave an empty socket in your mouth, don’t be! Better Way Dental also offers high-quality dental implants for patients missing natural teeth. We take impressions in-office and can customize your implants so that they match the rest of your teeth. Implants function similarly to natural teeth and restore greater chewing and talking capabilities. Moreover, implants benefit overall dental health in that they improve surrounding gum and jaw health and prevent other teeth from becoming misaligned.
Dentistry The Better Way
Tooth extractions are designed to help your dental health, not hurt it. We want our patients to have teeth that don’t hurt or put them at risk of infection or other problems: that’s why we offer quality and affordable tooth extractions for the Snoqualmie, Tokul, and North Bend areas in Washington state. If you have a problem tooth, call us today at (425) 292-9230 to schedule an appointment. We can offer professional advice on the best treatment options for your situation. If you are in extreme pain, please contact us immediately, as we also take emergency cases and walk-in clients. Come experience a better way of doing dentistry by Better Way Dental.