Tooth Extraction Spokane Valley, WA
Having a tooth extracted is something that happens now and then. It can happen for many different reasons, but when it does, it needs to be replaced. If you have a tooth extracted and it is not replaced, it can cause a host of problems with your oral health. Dental Implants are the most practical and long-lasting options that you have at replacing any teeth that need to be extracted.
When Extracting Teeth is Unavoidable
While your teeth were originally meant to last a good many years, there can be a wide variety of reasons that you may need to have a tooth extracted. Some reasons to extract a tooth include:| • | Having a fractured tooth that is unable to be repaired |
| • | A traumatic event causing your tooth to be damaged |
| • | Baby teeth that are in the way of permanent teeth wanting to come through |
| • | Overcrowding of the teeth already in your mouth |
| • | Severe amounts of tooth decay |
| • | Bone loss that comes from severe gum disease |
| • | Impacted teeth, such as your wisdom teeth |
| • | Infected teeth that would not be benefitted or saved by a root canal |
| • | Teeth that no longer function properly and will have a replacement coming in the form of a denture or implant |
These are some of most common reasons to have a tooth extracted. The location of the tooth and the damage to the bone socket will also be a part of what determines what options are best to fill in the gap where your tooth once was.
What the Tooth Extraction Procedure Entails
When you need to have a tooth extracted, it can either be simple, where the tooth is easy to reach and can be pulled straight out, or it can be surgical, which means the dentist will have to do a bit of surgery to reach the tooth. We will anesthetize the area prior to the extraction, either via injections at the site or via sedation.Once a tooth is pulled, you should expect some bleeding, but not in excess. Pain can be controlled by simple NSAID’s and we will prescribe you a painkiller as well. If you have heavier bleeding or more pain, you should call us so we can see what is going on. You will have to eat soft foods and avoid straws following the extraction, and make sure to keep your mouth clean to avoid infection.
Replacement Options Following a Tooth Extraction
Most of the time, following a tooth extraction, you will have to allow the gum and subsequent bone to heal before you can consider replacing the missing tooth. This can take a few months to be complete. Once the area has healed we will talk with you about which options are going to be best for your specific needs. It will depend on the health of the bone after healing, the location of the missing tooth, how many teeth need to be replaced, and your budget. One of the best options available is getting a Dental Implant. It acts in exactly the same way as a natural tooth, and it can last you for the rest of your life if properly maintained. We will surgically implant a metal post, which will act as the root of the implant. Once the metal post has healed and bonded with the jawbone, you will then have a permanent implant put on top. You eat, chew, speak, and brush as you would with a regular tooth, and no one (aside from us) can tell you had a dental implant put in!Having a tooth extracted can leave you worried about the gap left in your smile, but do not worry. The gap can be filled in for both aesthetic and functional purposes, and leave you with the same confident smile you always had. If you need a tooth extracted, or you want an implant placed where you already lost a tooth, then contact us today!
Please learn more about some of these procedures by following the links below.
