Recovery After Tooth Extraction in Bristow
If you’re about to undergo a tooth extraction in Bristow, VA, you don’t need to worry. Thanks to advanced dental technology and effective anesthesia, the extraction process is so quick and painless that you won’t even realize what has happened until it’s already done. Even the recovery process is simple; you can be back in action just hours after an Bristow dental extraction from Neal Dental Care!
When Is A Tooth Extraction Needed?
There are three main reasons that patients find themselves needing a tooth extraction: decay, injury, or wisdom teeth.
When a tooth is overwhelmed by decay that not even a root canal can resolve, extraction is the option left. Since a decaying tooth places the entire body at a higher risk of infection and disease, extraction is the only way to prevent future damage and stop the pain.
A severely cracked tooth or injured tooth may also need to be extracted if a crown, veneer, or other restorative measures can’t address issues of pain, function, and appearance.
Finally, you may find yourself undergoing a tooth extraction in if your wisdom teeth show signs of trouble. Wisdom teeth usually grow in between the ages of 17 and 25, but most people don’t have room for four more molars. This is why wisdom teeth commonly cause crowded, crooked, or impacted teeth unless they’re extracted. X-rays can indicate the growing threat of wisdom teeth before they become visible to the naked eye, helping your Bristow dentists make a recommendation for wisdom tooth extraction.
How Are Dental Extractions Done?
Sedation and general anesthesia make the extraction process easy and painless. Teeth toward the front of the mouth are usually rocked back and forth until they become loose enough to remove with dental forceps. Molars and impacted teeth, meanwhile, require a simple surgical procedure for removal. Either way, you won’t feel pain.
The Best Tips for Recovery After Your Tooth Extraction in Bristow
Your recovery will last a few days. Immediately after your extraction, it’s important to get plenty of rest, change your gauze regularly, and use cold compresses to prevent swelling.
There are also a few behaviors to avoid during your recovery process since they are likely to cause blood clots to dislodge from the extraction site:
- Don’t drink through straws
- Don’t smoke
- Don’t rinse or swish anything in your mouth
After the first 48 hours have passed and a sturdy blood clot has formed, you can use saline rinses, brush and floss gently, and eat soft foods.
Keep in mind that any problems that occur during extraction recovery need to be reported to your dentist. Dr. Stubblefield and the team at Neal Dental Care offer specialized expertise in the area of dental extractions and offer their guidance and compassion from start to finish. Your in gentle, caring, experienced hands.
