If your tooth is fractured, infected, or extremely damaged due to decay, our team may suggest an extraction. While hearing that you need an extraction may feel like the end of the road, we see the extraction process as the first step in rebuilding your smile! Our compassionate doctors offer judgement-free care, and will work with you to develop a personalized treatment plan to replace your tooth for a bright, healthy smile.
The typical recovery time for our patients is about two weeks. Thanks to our advanced technology and techniques, we can help ensure your have a speedy, healthy recovery after your oral surgery.
Immediately after your extraction, a blood clot will form where your missing tooth used to be. This acts as a “scaffold” for new bone and gum growth, so it’s very important to ensure you do not dislodge it by doing things like spitting forcefully or using a straw for at least 24-48 hours after your procedure.
Over the following next week or so, new tissue will begin to form around this blood clot. And, after about 7 days, the treatment area will be noticeably less painful. After 2 weeks, your tooth extraction site will be completely healed, and you will be able to return to our office to have your sutures removed!
While surgically extracting your tooth, we use local numbing and sedation to make sure you don’t feel any discomfort. However, the procedure of extracting your tooth is still an invasive surgical procedure, so you may feel some pain and discomfort as you begin to recover.
Typically, this will be the most intense about a day or two after your appointment, and it will fade by about a week after your surgery, as your mouth heals. Serious pain and discomfort after 7 days is not normal. If you are in serious pain after 7 days, you may have “dry socket” or another complication from the extraction process, like an infection.
Our team may provide you with a prescription for pain medication. Non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, acetaminophen, and naproxen can also help with pain and inflammation. Warm salt water rinses can also help soothe the extraction site and keep it clean. In addition, icing the cheek near the extraction site for up to 10 minutes at a time can help with pain and swelling.
Immediately after your extraction, you’ll be sent home to recover. You will need to rest for the rest of the day, and you should avoid any strenuous physical activity for at least the next few days!
You will also need to eat soft foods after your extraction. Depending on how long it takes you to heal, you may need to maintain this diet for anywhere between 3-7 days. Foods like smoothies, pudding, jello, applesauce, broths and thin soups, yogurt, and mashed potatoes are all good choices. Avoid extremely hot or cold foods, which can irritate your extraction site. Do not eat spicy foods, as this can cause serious pain and discomfort.
After your tooth is extracted, it's not uncommon for the bone that previously supported your tooth to weaken and fade away. This can lead to gaps between your teeth, or misalignment. At Poulos, Somers & Marshall, we perform socket preservations with extractions to keep your smile healthy. This helps avoid more dental health issues in the future, and ensures that your mouth will be healthy enough to support a replacement tooth.
If you have a damaged or infected tooth, our team can help with a skillful, gentle surgical extraction. We take the time and care to preserve the bone left behind to ensure optimal dental health, and you’ll be comfortable throughout your treatment. Call us todayor contact us online to schedule an appointment!
