Tooth Extractions – Virginia Beach, VA
Stop Oral Pain and Protect Your Oral Health
At the end of the day, the dentists at Smile by Design do not make tooth extractions their first treatment of consideration when helping patients get out of pain. However, there are instances where it is the best option moving forward, especially if your oral and overall health are at stake. If you have tooth pain and you’re not sure if an extraction is in your future, give our office a call directly and we’ll get you scheduled for an appointment with Dr. Santos or Dr. Folck.
Signs You Need a Tooth Extraction
While the signs that you need restorative dental care like a root canal or tooth extraction are not always so obvious, you should always get in touch with our office as soon as possible if you notice any of the following symptoms.
- Severe tooth discomfort
- Jaw pain or stiffness
- Pain that gets worse over time, when chewing, or when applying pressure
- Swollen gums around the tooth
- Dark discolorations of the tooth (typically black or dark brown/yellow in color)
The Tooth Extraction Process
When you arrive, we’ll perform a detailed examination of your mouth, then confirm if an extraction is the best treatment option moving forward. If we believe it is, then we’ll administer a small amount of local anesthetic in order to completely numb the tooth and surrounding gum tissue. This will make your extraction process all the more comfortable. We also offer oral conscious sedation should you need additional help getting comfortable prior to treatment.
Depending on the location of the tooth, we will either create a small incision in your gum tissue in order to access it (which is the case when a tooth is impacted), or skip this step if the tooth is clearly visible. To extract the tooth, we use a dental elevator to gently remove it from the periodontal ligament holding it in place. Afterwards, we’ll ask you to bite down onto a gauze pad so that a blood clot can successfully form in the socket.
Aftercare Following a Tooth Extraction
After your tooth is extracted, it’s very important that you make sure the blood clot does not become removed for any reason. This can cause a condition known as “dry socket” and it can result in a large amount of discomfort. To avoid this as well as maintain positive oral health following your extraction, make sure to:
- Replace the bandage if it becomes soaked with blood
- Avoid using straws for the next 24 hours
- Get plenty of rest
- Drink lots of fluids (avoid hot beverages or foods)
- Stick to a soft diet of foods that do not require a lot of chewing
- Avoid exercise as directed by our dentists
- Avoid rinsing your mouth out for at least 24 hours
- Apply ice to any swollen areas
- Call our office right away if pain or swelling does not improve following your extraction