Tooth Extractions SE Calgary

Tooth extractions are not the most pleasant topic. They often involve pain, discomfort, swelling, and infection. But sometimes, they are necessary for your dental health. A tooth extraction will prevent the further spread of bacteria and eliminate the cause of pain to restore your oral health.

At Midpark Dental in SE Calgary, we have a highly qualified dental team to help you with a smooth and easy tooth extraction experience. With modern dental facilities and a friendly team to accompany you through it, we take the extra mile to keep you as safe and comfortable as possible.

What is a dental extraction?

When it comes to dental treatments, our goal is to always preserve your natural tooth. If you have tooth decay, a cracked tooth, or a dental infection, we have several treatment options available to restore your tooth. This includes dental fillings, root canal treatment, and a crown.

However, if there is significant tooth damage, severe pain, and widespread infection, keeping the tooth may create more problems. To prevent further complications, your dentist may recommend a tooth extraction or pulling the tooth.

Why you may need a dental extraction?

There are several reasons why someone may need a dental extraction. Usually, it is because the tooth is damaged beyond repair, so pulling it out is better to avoid affecting the surrounding teeth and gums.

But aside from this, other reasons for a dental extraction are:

Existing infection

If you notice a bump or pimple on your gum, this is a telltale sign of a dental infection. Other signs and symptoms you should look out for are severe pain, inflamed gums, bad breath, swollen cheeks or jaw, and fever. This means a dental infection is present and removing the tooth is necessary to avoid other systemic health problems.

Orthodontic treatment

For patients with severe crowding, tooth extraction may be recommended to make space and allow the teeth to properly align. Extraction is usually performed where there is severe dental decay. But if there is no tooth decay present, the premolars or the wisdom tooth may be removed.

Wisdom teeth

The third molars or the wisdom teeth are the last tooth to emerge in the mouth. Because they come out at a later age, the jaws usually no longer have enough space to accommodate them. So, they would come out at an angle, remain impacted, or not come out at all. Sometimes, they would affect the other teeth and cause crowding or even damage the adjacent tooth. To avoid these problems, dentists often advise to have the wisdom teeth extracted.

Dental injuries

Patients involved in accidents may experience dental injuries or trauma such as the tooth going further into the socket, a severely fractured tooth, or loosening of the tooth. While there are procedures such as root canal therapy and splinting to return the tooth to its original place and stabilize it, some injuries may be so extensive that these options may no longer work. For such, extraction is best recommended.

Severe gum and periodontal disease

Periodontitis is a serious dental infection that affects the gums and the bones surrounding the teeth. If left untreated, bone loss will be a problem and will cause mobility of the teeth. With severe periodontitis, alternative treatments may not suffice to stabilize the teeth and will need to be extracted.

What to expect during a tooth extraction?

Tooth extractions are done in 3 general steps:

Consultation and x-rays

First, our dentist will check the extent of the decay or damage and evaluate the position of the tooth. X-rays play a vital role in this procedure and in determining the approximation of the tooth to nerves and vessels. Proper check-up and diagnosis prevents complications down the road.

Anesthesia

Then, topical gel is placed on the gum to make the local injection more comfortable. Anesthesia helps to numb the area for a relatively painless tooth extraction procedure.

Loosening and pulling the tooth

When the anesthesia has taken effect, the next step is to loosen the tooth until such time that it can be carefully pulled out of the socket. Sometimes, sectioning the tooth into several pieces may help with ease of removal. If a flap is opened, the gums may be sutured in place to prevent debris from going into the socket.

Sometimes, an additional step may be added where a bone substitute is packed in the tooth socket. This will preserve the height and width of the bone in preparation for tooth replacement procedures such as implants or dentures.

Tooth Extraction Aftercare

Healing and recovery from tooth extraction can take anywhere from days to weeks. This ultimately depends on how well you follow your dentist’s post-extraction guidelines.

Immediately after tooth extraction, you should keep pressure on the area using gauze to prevent bleeding. Rest for 24 – 48 hours or as recommended and take your medications as prescribed. You may place a cold compress directly on swollen cheeks to reduce inflammation and discomfort. Stick to a soft diet until you are more comfortable to chew and eat.

With the week of your tooth extraction, the goal is to keep the blood clot covering the extraction site. This is important for ideal healing. Avoid hot foods and liquids, and hard and crunchy food. Do not drink from a straw. Refrain from smoking and consuming alcohol. And continue with a good oral hygiene routine to avoid infection.

Tooth Replacement Options

After getting the tooth removed, you may be wondering “What happens next?”. At Midpark Dental, we offer several tooth replacement treatments to complete your smile and restore your appearance. This includes dental bridges, partial or full dentures, and dental implants.

Let our dentist evaluate your oral health and smile goals so they can recommend the most suitable tooth replacement for you.

Safe and Smooth Tooth Extractions SE Calgary

If you are experiencing nagging pain in your tooth or if you recently had an accident with a tooth involved, it may be time to schedule a visit to Midpark Dental. Our helpful dentist will evaluate the condition of your tooth to determine if a tooth extraction is the best route to go. Otherwise, we have a wide range of dental treatments to introduce to you.

Book an appointment today to learn more!