Why Would You Need a Tooth Extraction In Adulthood?

With the right dentist, tooth extractions can be a stress-free and painless experience. Contact The Dental Anesthesia Center today for professional, quality tooth extraction services.

We understand the reasons why you might resist undergoing tooth extraction in adulthood: “It’s a permanent tooth and won’t grow back if extracted,” or “it’s painful.” However, the reality is tooth extraction in adulthood is sometimes necessary for good oral health. Below are situations where you may need an immediate tooth extraction, including what the process involves from the beginning to the end.

What is Tooth Extraction?

Tooth extraction is a dental procedure that involves the permanent removal of teeth from their sockets by a professional dentist or an oral surgeon. It can take any one of these two forms:

• Simple Extraction – The dentist administers a local anesthetic to numb the tooth area during a simple extraction. They then loosen and remove your tooth using forceps. Simple extractions are generally painless and only happen to the visible teeth in your mouth.

• Surgical Extraction – A surgical extraction is only necessary when your tooth isn’t easily accessible because it hasn’t erupted fully or broken beneath the gum line. The surgeon doses you with general anesthesia during a surgical extraction and makes a gum incision to lift the soft tissues covering the tooth before removing it. There is no pain or pressure during a surgical extraction because you’ll be sedated the entire time.

When Would You Require Tooth Extraction?

After a dentist conducts an x-ray test, they may recommend a tooth extraction due to one of the following reasons:

Impacted Teeth – Impacted teeth can be a reason why you may need a tooth extraction. Impaction happens when there isn’t enough room in your mouth for the erupting teeth to fit, which forces them to grow sideways instead of in their normal upright position.

Wisdom teeth are usually the most impacted teeth as they emerge last in an already crowded space. Therefore, extraction is necessary to prevent swelling, infection, and pain in the affected area during an impaction.

Tooth Decay – When tartar and plaque on your teeth eat away the enamel up to the pulp, your tooth may decay completely. In most tooth decays, you will experience pain, swelling, or infections in the decayed area.

If the dentist declares your tooth decay unsalvageable, you may need an immediate tooth extraction to prevent further decaying.

Periodontal Disease – Like tooth decay, periodontal diseases develop from tartar and plaque stuck on your teeth. However, this disease usually affects the gums before proceeding to the surrounding tissues or bones in severe cases. A dentist will diagnose your periodontal disease, and if it’s severe, tooth extraction could be the only way to avoid dental deterioration.

Trauma – If you get involved in an accident and your teeth dent beyond dental repair, your dentist may need to extract them to prevent gum infection.

What is the Tooth Extraction Recovery Process?

Depending on your health and the type of tooth, recovery from a tooth extraction can take days or weeks. Regardless of how long it takes, make sure you follow your dentist’s advice and recommendation. This may include:

• Consuming soft foods and fluids
• Resting your mouth
• Taking your pain meds (if prescribed)
• Refraining from brushing the extracted area

Visit Us for Professional, Quality Dental Care

With the right dentist, tooth extractions can be a stress-free and painless experience. Contact The Dental Anesthesia Center today for professional, quality tooth extraction services.

At The Dental Anesthesia Center, we diagnose and treat all dental concerns, from the most common to the rarest and complex. Contact us today!