EXTRACTIONS
When you get the news that a tooth needs to be extracted, it could cause instant anxiety. It’s our goal at Windermere Dental & Medical Spa to make this process as smooth as possible. We promise to take the utmost care of you and your mouth during your extraction.
WHY DO EXTRACTIONS HAPPEN?
Extractions happen for a variety of reasons. Regular brushing and flossing will help prevent a cavity from forming. However, regular visits to the dentist will help identify problems before a tooth needs to be extracted. Some of the reasons for extractions can be:
- Removing baby teeth that won’t come out
- A tooth is coming in crooked
- The rest of the teeth are crooked and room needs to be made
- Wisdom teeth removal
- In preparation for braces
- too much decay with too little tooth remaining for a filling or crown
- a cracked or broken tooth
WHAT SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE SURGERY?
During your consultation, a member of our dental team will take a full set of X-rays in order to determine which teeth need to be extracted. Having teeth extracted is a strategic process and we don’t want to remove any more teeth than we need to.
Once the tooth or teeth have been identified, it’s important to still brush and floss the tooth as normal. You also want to tell the dentist any medications you are taking that may interfere with normal healing/clotting. We will also want to take your blood pressure prior to extracting a tooth. Interestingly enough, many people are first told about their high blood pressure at the dentist if they don’t normally see a primary care physician.
WHAT IS THE PROCEDURE LIKE?
A tooth extraction can be done a variety of different ways depending on anxiety level.
- Local anesthesia: Giving local anesthesia (shots) and numbing the teeth and gums is the most common way to extract teeth.
- Nitrous Oxide: The famous “laughing gas” is a common form of relaxation that can make the procedure just a little bit easier. Nitrous is a perfectly safe gas that won’t make you unconscious, but it will relax you. This can help people who are nervous and still want to drive themselves to and from office
- IV sedation: This would be done at an oral surgeon’s office that we would refer you to
Our dental team is committed to providing a relatively pain free experience with dental extractions.