Advanced gum disease, severe decay or traumatic injury to a tooth can necessitate extraction. Severe gum disease can break down the ligaments holding teeth within the jaw and gums, so they loosen and often need to be extracted. When damage from a cracked or decayed tooth has impacted the dental pulp, a root canal can often save the tooth. Some people have limited room in their mouths and as a result, adult teeth grow in crooked. This is nearly always the case with wisdom teeth (third molars), which causes them to be impacted. In order to get orthodontics to move other teeth into proper alignment, it may be necessary to pull one or two teeth prior to placing braces. At River City Dentistry and Implants, we’ll do everything we can to save your tooth, but a dental extraction in Post Falls, ID is sometimes the best solution. The good news is that when our dentist Dr. Jason Allred pulls a troublesome tooth, this can completely eliminate your pain and other oral health problems.
At River City Dentistry and Implants, we’ll do everything we can to save your tooth, but a dental extraction in Post Falls, ID is sometimes the best solution.
Wisdom teeth are an additional set of molars that typically erupt during teenage years or young adulthood. The primary issue is that most people need more room in their mouths to support them. As a result, problems can occur, such as infection, crooked teeth, pain, and damage to the jawbone. Although Dr. Allred offers removal of wisdom teeth in Post Falls, ID, more complex cases are typically referred to an oral surgeon.
To ensure paying for your procedure is as painless as possible, we accept insurance from leading insurance providers and offer financing.
During your initial visit at River City Dentistry and Implants, Dr. Allred will determine if your tooth needs to be extracted based on your oral exam, symptoms, and imaging. If tooth extraction is the best option, we’ll schedule this appointment before you leave our office. To ensure paying for your procedure is as painless as possible, we accept insurance from leading insurance providers and offer financing. Before your tooth is pulled, we administer a local anesthetic to numb the gums at the extraction site. We offer different types of sedation for wisdom teeth removal or more complex cases and will discuss this with you before your procedure.
Once the area is numb and sedation has taken effect, we use an elevator to loosen the tooth, followed by a forceps to grasp it and carefully remove it from its socket. In some cases, molars are cut into smaller pieces to make removal easier. For an impacted tooth, gum and bone tissue typically need to be cut with a scalpel or laser before extraction. After a tooth is extracted, a blood clot should form in the empty socket. We’ll pack it with a gauze pad and instruct you to bite down on it to stop the bleeding, which should happen after a few minutes.
After your tooth has been pulled, you’ll receive important postsurgical instructions with tips to manage any extraction-related pain or swelling and ensure proper healing. If residual pain persists after your extraction in Post Falls, ID, we recommend taking ibuprofen or acetaminophen for a few days. If a blood clot hasn’t formed or becomes dislodged and you experience severe pain, call our office immediately. It’s likely you developed dry socket, an uncommon extraction complication that exposes sensitive bone and nerves. Treatment involves placing medicated gauze in the socket to ease your pain and repeating this step as needed. For a simple extraction, the healing process can take up to a week. For extractions on molars, wisdom teeth or any other type of surgical extraction, healing can take longer. In most cases, you should be able to resume moderate activities 24 hours after your procedure.
It can be tempting to leave the empty space after getting a tooth pulled, but keep in mind a missing tooth can cause more than cosmetic problems. The empty space can cause surrounding teeth to shift and become misaligned. The first year after a tooth extraction, bone decreases by 25% and this progresses unchecked, which can lead to undesirable facial changes. If you postpone getting dental implants, you’ll likely need bone grafting. To ensure you can select from a full spectrum of tooth replacement options, we recommend scheduling a consultation at River City Dentistry and Implants as soon as possible after an extraction in Post Falls, ID. Dental implants only require proper jawbone density to remain secure and strong. Once they integrate with your jawbone, the posts function like natural tooth roots and provide stimulation to keep the bone healthy. Dental bridges require modification of adjacent teeth and although they prevent shifting of adjacent teeth, they don’t prevent bone loss nor stimulate bone growth.
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