The Importance of Tooth Extractions at an Emergency Dentistry Office

Many emergency dentistry situations require dental extractions. Removing the problematic tooth can improve your dental health. It can even prevent further complications.

The importance of tooth extractions

If patients want to know the importance of dental extractions during an emergency dental treatment, here are the details.

For a dental fracture that went beyond the gums

A dental fracture can happen if the patient bites down hard enough to crack the lower molars. This is more likely to happen if they have had a recent large filling or a root canal. The fracture will cause intense pain. The emergency dentistry professional will need to extract the tooth at this point. There will be pain relief as soon as the dentist removes the damaged tooth.

For an impacted wisdom tooth

Wisdom teeth are also known as third molars. They are the last teeth to erupt from a person’s gumline. They can emerge during the late teens or early adulthood. Some people have healthy wisdom teeth that fully erupt and align with the neighboring teeth. Other people have wisdom teeth that develop and stay underneath the gumline.

These impacted teeth can be incredibly painful. An impacted tooth puts pressure on the neighboring teeth because it does not have enough room to erupt. The developed teeth underneath the gums are also still prone to decay or infection. That is why an emergency dentistry provider will recommend dental extraction. This procedure will relieve the pressure and pain.

For gum disease

Periodontal disease happens when gingivitis is not caught early and treated. This severe infection deteriorates the gums and supporting soft tissue structures. The deterioration causes the gums to recede. Eventually, the tooth will need an extraction or simply fall out on its own. An emergency dentistry professional will extract the tooth if it is necessary to do so. This will relieve the pain and stop the spread of infection.

For severe dental decay

This condition occurs if there is untreated plaque and tartar. The emergency dentistry provider can maintain the tooth with the help of restorative methods. These will work if there is still a healthy dental structure. But if the tooth’s decay is beyond the help of a root canal, filling, or crown, a dental extraction will be necessary. It will also prevent the decay from spreading.

What happens during a tooth extraction

The emergency dentistry provider will numb the affected tooth and its surrounding tissue. After a few minutes, the patient will not feel any pain in the area. They will only feel pressure on the tooth. The dentist will loosen the tooth and then, using forceps, pull out the tooth. The site might be stitched up with self-dissolving stitches afterward.

The patient will need to bite down on sterile gauze after the dental extraction. This will help stop the bleeding. The pressure will help the blood clot. This clot will then cover the bone in the dental socket. The dentist will provide aftercare instructions before the patient goes home.