It may seem counterintuitive to remove a tooth when one of the main goals of dentistry is preserving your teeth. However, sometimes tooth extraction is the best option in the interest of your lasting oral health. We recommend tooth extraction in cases where the damaged tooth threatens your overall well being.
It’s normal to want to keep your natural teeth and we understand why you might feel some trepidation about tooth extraction. Not every infected, damaged, or misaligned tooth needs to be extracted, but there are cases where it shouldn’t be avoided.
Failure to have a tooth extracted in cases where it is deemed necessary can lead to or exacerbate related issues such as:
Given the risks involved in keeping a tooth that is beyond saving, it’s imperative that you undergo tooth extraction once Dr. Ye has determined it’s necessary.
Cases where we may recommend tooth extraction include:
Tooth extraction can also be necessary to prepare your mouth for beneficial dental restorations such as implants, bridges, and dentures.
While the tooth extraction procedure can vary based on your treatment needs, routine tooth extraction usually follows these steps.
Before deciding whether or not to extract a tooth, Dr. Ye will examine your mouth and provide treatment. These treatments may include:
If these treatments aren’t effective at treating your teeth or gums in the following weeks, you’ll contact our office by calling us at (978) 443-3111 or filling out our contact form. Dr. Ye will then decide on extraction or additional therapy.
We’ll administer your choice of sedation and a local anesthetic to ensure your extraction procedure is painless and comfortable. We’ll make sure that both your anesthetic and sedative are working properly so you stay relaxed and pain-free during the procedure.
Dr. Ye will use special tools to gently remove the affected tooth, eliminating the source of your dental health issues and helping your gums heal naturally.
Once a tooth has been extracted, it’s essential for your recovery to care for the surgical area and take steps to ensure that you’re healing properly. To support an efficient recovery, follow these and any other instructions given to you by Dr. Ye:
Typically, the first step in the tooth extraction process includes numbing the area with a local anesthetic, ensuring that patients feel as comfortable as possible and experience little to no pain during the procedure.
It’s normal to feel some sensitivity and discomfort after the extraction, but this pain can be relieved through over-the-counter pain medications.
We usually recommend taking 48 to 72 hours after your surgery to relax and recover. The first few days are vital to the healing process because you’re more prone to infections during this time.
You’ll be able to return to your daily life soon after your extraction. After the first few days, you can return to normal physical activities as long as you don’t notice any complications.
For at least 2 weeks after surgery, it’s recommended that you avoid foods that are crunchy, hard, or sticky. These can reopen the wound in your gums or get stuck in the surgical site and cause infection.
Tooth extraction can be extremely helpful in treating an infection. However, Dr. Ye doesn’t recommend leaving the area where a tooth has been extracted empty for long. We highly recommend dental implants as the best way to replace missing teeth.