Tooth Extraction
Are you suffering from intense tooth pain? Do you find it difficult to do everyday things like chewing?
An infected tooth can be incredibly painful and also cause severe oral health concerns if left untreated.
Enlighten Dental offers tooth extraction from our Vancouver, BC, office that can help you find long-lasting relief.
How Do You Know If You Need an Extraction?
Wisdom teeth are not always the only permanent teeth that need to be removed. Besides untreated cavities and periodontal disease, sudden trauma, impacted teeth, or an overly crowded smile may be reasons why you would need a tooth extraction. You should schedule an emergency visit to our Vancouver, BC, practice if you are experiencing:
- A painful toothache
- Sudden sensitivity
- Severe swelling
- A fever
During your exam, we will determine whether your tooth can be saved or whether it is too damaged or decayed.
Root Canal Treated Teeth
Root canal teeth can harbor infection painlessly. To prevent this from going unnoticed, we use 3D CT imaging to check your root canal teeth for any underlying infection. Regular two-dimensional imaging often hides or poorly demonstrates the existence of infection around a tooth. A proper diagnosis is key in making an informed decision about which treatment is best for you and your overall health.
What can Happen If you Delay Tooth Extraction?
Delaying extraction can be harmful to your overall oral and physical health. Impacted wisdom teeth that are not removed, can cause your other teeth to shift creating overcrowding and misalignment. An untreated tooth can lead to an infection in the gums, or it can cause an abscess to form at the tooth root and spread to the bloodstream potentially causing infection throughout the body. It is important to know when to remove your wisdom teeth or any adult tooth that is infected or causing pain.
Our Team Prioritizes Your Comfort and Healing
Deep Cleaning
Our biological treatment protocols involve removing the periodontal ligament and all infected/affected tissue from around the extraction site. Ozone is then slowly applied to the area to disinfect and oxygenate the blood and tissues. This is especially effective against the harmful anaerobic bacteria that are present in tooth and jaw bone infections.
Accelerated Healing
Our team uses platelet-rich fibrin, or PRF, in 95 percent of our extraction cases. PRF contains growth factors which help you heal more quickly and comfortably than conventional methods. The live white blood cells in PRF also go to work cleaning up debris and fighting infection.
Virtually Pain-Free
Although an extraction can sound scary, it is meant to relieve your pain and discomfort. In addition to local anesthesia, our team can provide oral sedation and nitrous oxide to help you feel at ease during the procedure.
Improve Your Oral and Overall Health
Although we will always try to save your tooth whenever possible, extracting a badly infected tooth can help improve your overall health and prevent the onset of an abscess, swelling, and even more serious, life-threatening complications.
Our Dentists Can Help Every Step of the way
We help many patients achieve long-term relief from pain and other symptoms by extracting infected teeth. Rather than referring your case to outside specialists, we can extract, prepare, and replace your tooth all in one office.
To learn more about our holistic approach to dentistry, contact our Vancouver, BC, practice today. Go online or give us a call to schedule your tooth extraction consultation.
Infection, gum Disease, and Decay Are Commonly Treated With Extractions
In a study of four dental practices in South Wales,
59% of extractions were due to extensive cavities and
29% of extractions were due to periodontal disease. *According to research published in the British Dental Journal
Tooth Extraction Technique Focuses on Promoting Healing
Our team of doctors is available to guide you through every step of your recovery.
We prioritize your comfort and health, from start to finish.
What to Expect After Removal
Immediately following your procedure, your dentist will put gauze in the wound and have you bite down to stop the bleeding. Depending on the removal, your dentist may put in stitches to close the gums over the extraction site. Otherwise, you will need to continue to switch out your gauze to stop the bleeding and promote the formation of a blood clot. Your dentist will send you home with plenty of gauze and may prescribe you, pain killers, as well. Once the bleeding has stopped and a blood clot has formed, you will need to follow your dentist's instructions on how to care for the wound and prevent a dry socket.
After Care And Preventing dry Sockets
Recovery typically only takes a few days and if you follow your dentist's instructions, healing should be relatively simple. You will be sent home from our Vancouver office with instructions on how to properly care for the extraction site and surrounding teeth.
The following can help manage pain and discomfort, reduce the risk of infection and dry sockets, and allow rapid recovery:
Painkillers
Take your prescribed or over-the-counter painkillers to avoid discomfort.
Ice
Apply an ice pack to help reduce swelling.
Change Your Gauze
Be sure to switch out your gauze regularly while the extraction site is still bleeding.
Stop the Bleeding
Continue to bite down on the gauze with gentle, but firm, pressure to promote the formation of a blood clot and stop the bleeding.
Avoid Rinsing or Spitting
Rinsing or spitting forcefully can dislodge the blood clot and cause a dry socket to form.
Do not Smoke or use a Straw
Do not drink through a straw or smoke within the first 24 hours, as this can also cause dry socket formation.
Eat Soft Foods
Foods like soup, yogurt, and applesauce can be eaten the day after the extraction, then you can slowly introduce solid food back into your diet.
Continue Routine Dental Care
Keep brushing and flossing, but be mindful to avoid the extraction site.
A Custom Restoration Completes Your Smile
After tooth extraction, most patients are fully healed within three months. Our office has a variety of tooth replacement options available, including:
- Implant-supported crowns
- Dental bridges
- Implant-supported bridges
- Partial and full dentures
- Implant-supported dentures
Dental implants provide various benefits over traditional restorations and are the recommended option for patients who needed an extraction due to health concerns. We offer metal-free zirconia dental implants to restore the health, function, and form of your smile.
We help many patients achieve long-term relief from pain and other symptoms by extracting infected teeth. Rather than referring your case to outside specialists, we can extract, prepare, and replace your tooth all in one office.
