Hearing that you need a tooth extracted can sometimes cause a little anxiety, especially if you’ve never had one removed before. Though it may be reassuring that your dentist would only recommend this procedure if absolutely necessary, that still may not be enough to ease your worries. If you’re feeling apprehensive about an upcoming extraction, here are some tips for making the situation a lot less worrisome!
Inform Yourself
The easiest way to make peace with a tooth removal procedure is to understand why you need it. There are numerous reasons you may require one, all of which are necessary and important. These include:
- Impaction
- To create space for orthodontic treatment
- Damage or decay
- Tooth infection
- Gum disease
Once you know the diagnosis, you can better understand the impact of keeping the tooth, and the benefits of having it removed.
Prepare for Your Appointment
If you are scheduled to have your tooth extracted at a later date, you can prepare yourself in advance by determining what might make you feel most comfortable, such as playing music on your headphones or bringing along a friend for moral support.
Understand the Process
Sometimes knowing exactly what to expect can be comforting, so familiarizing yourself with what will happen during your extraction may make the procedure a little easier. Here’s a general outline:
- Your dentist will numb your extraction site with a numbing gel and then inject the numbed area (and possibly your tongue) with a local anesthesia.
- If your tooth has not yet emerged (impacted), your dentist may need to cut away some of the gum tissue to get to it.
- Once the tooth is visible, your dentist will remove your tooth with a pair of special dental pliers. Sometimes if a tooth is difficult to extract, your dentist may need to cut it into smaller pieces to make it easier to remove.
- Once your tooth is out, your dentist will have you bite down on gauze to stop bleeding and help a blood clot form in the extraction site.
- After the bleeding has slowed, your dentist will sew up the area with dissolving stitches. These sutures don’t need to be removed and should disappear within a week or so. Do not pull on them!
Remember, if your dentist has recommended tooth extraction it’s for a very good reason. Thankfully, this procedure is very common, and very well tolerated. If you have any questions or concerns, reach out to your dentist for more information prior to your appointment and you’ll be smiling again before you know it!
About Our Practice
At Cornerstone Dental, we truly care about our patients. We want to make your oral health easy, so that you can enjoy your healthy, beautiful smile for years to come. If you need a tooth extraction procedure, you’re in great hands with our skilled dental team. To schedule an appointment, please visit our website or call us today at 701-237-3583.