Tooth Extraction
Dr. Doostan has a lot of experience extracting teeth, especially since our office is known for treating dental emergencies. The reasons for extractions can range from an injury in a sports or car accident to periodontal disease having advanced to the point that the gums pull away their support for a tooth until it can no longer be saved.
Extraction should not hurt because we provide a complete range of sedation options, from having you breathe nitrous oxide through a mask to relax and reduce anxiety, moderate to deep sedation in pill form, or even general anesthesia delivered via an IV-drip. We will recommend what we believe will be best for your case, but you will make the final decision about what you feel you need.
After the extraction, you will need to leave the gauze in place for several hours. Put an ice pack on the outside of the jaw where the extraction was on and off every 10 minutes for the rest of the day and rest at home. Take the prescribed pain medication according to instructions. Keep your head elevated on an extra pillow when you sleep. For the first two days, just eat soup, yoghurt, or other soft foods. Rinse your mouth with warm salted water several different times on the third day.
Just as important are the don’ts for the first 24 hours: no brushing gums or flossing at or near the area, nor rinsing, spitting, or using a straw (to keep the blood clot in place). Also avoid hot beverages or food.
All these practices should provide you with a quick recovery. If pain does get worse (or seems to spread towards the ear on the side of the extraction), bleeding continues after the first day, you have a fever, are nauseous, or smelly fluid comes out of the wound, call for an immediate appointment.
But almost all patients feel renewed health within a couple of days and the challenge then is to avoid needing other teeth extracted. If you play any sports, whether considered likely to involve contact or not, it is advisable to wear a mouthguard, which we can custom-make for you. Many accidents are due to a ball or elbow hitting the mouth or because of a fall.
As long as you return to brushing carefully for two minutes after breakfast and dinner and flossing before bedtime, rinsing with a dentist-recommended solution, and avoid hard or sticky foods when you can, your oral health should be maintained. Be sure to come in at least twice a year for a full examination, including a set of digital x-rays (which involve minimal radiation and allow us to detect any periodontal infection that may have reached into the jawbone).
