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TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

As dental professionals, our goal is to help you live a healthy life with all of your original teeth. However, there are times when we cannot save a tooth.

Sometimes it becomes necessary for a tooth to be removed because of crowding, disease or trauma. No matter the reason, we use a conservative approach with all tooth extractions. While the title of “oral surgery” sounds serious, most oral surgeries & extractions are routine procedures. Our experienced doctor will perform your procedure with expert skill to ensure the most comfortable recovery & the best possible result.

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If not removed, a tooth that needs to be extracted can become problematic, resulting in pain, infection & other dental problems. But getting them removed doesn’t have to be an ordeal.

Aftercare

The most important part of tooth removal is the aftercare. Whether you have a simple or surgical extraction, you need to carefully follow your dentist’s or oral surgeon’s directions. Failing to properly care for the tooth socket makes it much more difficult to heal.

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After you have a tooth removed, the empty socket eventually fills with a blood clot. Like a scab, a blood clot helps stop the bleeding. This is the beginning of the healing process, so your job is to make sure that nothing happens to that blood clot. Do not touch it!

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For about three days after the extraction, you also need to avoid smoking, drinking out of straws, spitting or blowing your nose. All of these things create a level of pressure that can dislodge the blood clot & open the socket. If this happens, you will get what is known as a dry socket. Dry sockets are painful & require intervention. Please call us right away if you get one.

If you follow your instructions & avoid a dry socket, most of the major healing takes place within one or two weeks of the appointment.

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After having a tooth removed, you may notice changes in your jaw. With a newly opened space, your teeth & jawbone can shift. Losing a tooth can have a major impact on your dental health & quality of life. If you want to prevent this, you can fill that space with a dental bridge or a dental implant. Contact us if you want to know more about your options for replacing a missing tooth.

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