A goal of comprehensive dental care is to help patients keep their natural teeth as long as possible. Sometimes, though, extractions are in the best interests of your overall health. If you live in Clearwater Beach, Largo, Palm Harbor, or Tarpon Springs, professional assistance with this decision is available through an experienced dentist at Lepore Comprehensive Dentistry – Dr. Ryan Lepore or Dr. Erin Dougherty in Dunedin, Florida.
WHY PATIENTS MIGHT NEED EXTRACTIONS
- Trauma – It may not be possible to save a severely damaged tooth or one broken off below the gumline. Leaving it in the mouth could result in pain and infection
- Decay – Dental caries can develop in hidden areas or beneath a loose or cracked filling or crown. Decay may cause slight discomfort as it progresses, not becoming obvious until structural damage is too significant to be repaired
- Stubborn baby tooth – A primary tooth may resist falling out when it is time for a child’s secondary tooth to come in.
- Wisdom teeth – If you have plenty of room, third molars may drop into alignment. However, if they crowd existing teeth or become impacted, painful, or otherwise problematic, they can be extracted since they are not required for modern man’s diet.
- Dentures – If you have only a few natural teeth in an arch and prefer a full denture over a partial denture or bridgework, the remaining teeth can be removed
- Orthodontics – Extractions may be suggested for a person with very small arches and crowded teeth in preparation for braces
When a tooth has become so extensively decayed or damaged that it cannot be preserved, your doctor may recommend extracting it to make way for a replacement restoration. With what we call a ‘simple extraction’, the tooth is removed from the socket with minimal instrumentation and without surgery.
Typically, your doctor will review your radiographs beforehand to ensure the right tooth, root, socket, and bone conditions exist to allow for a simple extraction.
This procedure involves your doctor applying slight pressure with a specially designed instrument to gently and gradually ease the tooth from the socket.
Once the tooth is removed, your doctor will clean the area and allow it to naturally heal. While the site is healing, your doctor can fit you with a temporary tooth to wear in the meantime.
When your doctor has determined that the area has sufficiently healed, they will work with you to present treatment options available to you to permanently replace the extracted tooth.
LOW-STRESS PROCEDURE
The idea of having a tooth removed can be unsettling. Drs. Lepore and Dougherty understand. They refer a surgeon they trust to take extra steps to ensure your well-being before, during, and following extractions.
If you are nervous about having an extraction, the surgeon may prescribe an oral sedative. This medication is taken just before your appointment to quell anxiety. It also allows your body to relax for an efficient extraction with reduced tissue trauma and strain. The surgeon uses special implements and a rocking technique to loosen a tooth from its natural mooring so it can be lifted from the socket. Your mouth is numbed for the procedure. You may feel a sensation of pressure but should experience no pain.
Your extraction care does not stop there. Lepore Comprehensive Dentistry provides post-operative care and instruction for uneventful healing. Compassionate advice is only a call away if needed at (727) 608-4690.
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