No one likes to suffer discomfort or pain. So many people fear tooth extraction at the dentist. But this procedure helps you maintain your best oral health by removing a severely decayed or broken tooth. Learn more about the process to feel more confident about your important dental services in Queen Creek AZ.

Why You Need Tooth Extraction

Smiling woman in dental chair finding out about tooth extractionYou need tooth extraction at Marketplace Dental Excellence in Queen Creek, Arizona, when your tooth suffers extreme damage or decay. Usually, the family dentist tries to restore a decayed, broken, very loose or chipped tooth. But if treatment cannot repair the tooth for normal wear and tear, it must come out. In the long run, tooth extraction saves you time, money, the risk of infection, and pain.

Other reasons for tooth extraction include extra teeth blocking others from growing into place, baby teeth not falling out for permanent ones to emerge, or getting braces and needing room for movement of your teeth into proper positions.

Sometimes people with cancer have teeth extracted as part of their treatment. This is especially true for those undergoing radiation to the head and neck, suffering an infection in teeth because of weakened immunity, or having teeth at high risk for infection while the immune system is weak.

Wisdom teeth, your third molars, must come out if they cause problems, too. These usually start to emerge in your late teens or early 20s. These teeth often cause pain or infection, especially when they become impacted. They can also suffer decay or cysts before growing into place.

How the Dentist Extracts Your Teeth

Your dentist at Marketplace Dental Excellence removes your teeth using one or two methods of tooth extraction. These include:

Simple Extraction

This procedure works for teeth already visible inside your mouth. The dentist simply uses a special instrument to loosen the tooth, then removes it using forceps.

Surgical Extraction

A surgical tooth extraction is more complicated than a simple extraction. This procedure takes place in surgery when a tooth has not broken through your gum line, through a small incision cut into your gum. The dentist must sometimes remove some of your bone obstructing the tooth or break the tooth into pieces for removal.

Before your procedure, your dentist discusses sedation options with you. Through sedation dentistry, you remain comfortable, relaxed and pain-free throughout your extraction. Options include local anesthetic for both types of extraction. For surgical methods, you sometimes undergo IV or general anesthesia.

If you receive sedation dentistry called “conscious sedation,” the dentist considers providing steroids and other medication in your intravenous line. Steroids prevent post-procedural pain and help reduce swelling.

With these methods of anesthesia, you can expect to feel pressure. But if you feel any pinching or pain, tell your dentist. As a rule, you should not feel any pain when receiving adequate anesthesia.

Your Follow-Up Care and Other Dental Needs after Extraction

After your tooth extraction, you receive clear instructions from your dentist on what to expect during recovery and what to do to ease healing. Ask any questions at this time, to ensure you know how to take care of your discomfort, pain or other concerns.

Remember that extraction is surgery. Your discomfort should remain mild from the beginning of the process through healing. Using ibuprofen helps ease any pain, according to your dentist’s instructions.

Other Marketplace Dental Excellence dental services you need to maintain a healthy, strong smile and prevent the need for future extractions include:

Do you need tooth extraction? Call Marketplace Dental Excellence now at 480.545.8700 for a consultation exam. Get to know your dentist and the caring team in Queen Creek, Arizona for all of your oral health needs.