Emergency Tooth Extractions

Severe Infection in the Tooth

When tooth decay makes its way to the pulp (the tooth’s center with blood vessels and nerves), the tooth needs to be treated immediately. Typically, root canal therapy and antibiotics can correct infections in the center of the tooth. If it cannot be cured with a root canal, we’ll need to extract the tooth. If you have an infection, you should come to our office as soon as possible. We can stop the pain from an infected tooth, and the quicker we can treat the infection, the more likely we will save the tooth.

Advanced Gum Disease

When gum disease advances to the tissues and bone surrounding the teeth, it can make the teeth loose. When gum disease causes gum recession, the underlying tooth structure becomes overly sensitive to hot, cold, and even air. In some cases, it’s best to have the tooth extracted then restored with a prosthesis.

Impacted or Crowded Teeth

An impacted tooth occurs when the mouth is overcrowded, causing an incoming tooth to get stuck in the bone and gum tissue. This happens because there’s no more space in the mouth for teeth to grow. Sometimes, impacted teeth can cause pain or an infection, meaning the tooth will need to be extracted.

Preparing for a Tooth Extraction

Before removing a tooth, we will take a full assessment and x-ray of your mouth. If we can’t do anything to preserve it, we’ll use the x-rays to determine the best way to remove it.

For a tooth extraction, we recommend sedation so that you can feel comfortable during the procedure. Patients undergoing sedation should arrange for someone to drive them home after the treatment.

A Simple Extraction

A simple extraction is the removal of a tooth that’s visible in the mouth. We’ll loosen the tooth with a professional dental tool called an elevator during these procedures and then use forceps to extract it.

A Surgical Extraction

Surgical extractions occur when the tooth is not visible above the gum line – either because it’s broken off or has not erupted yet. Surgical extractions are more complex.

Depending on the kind of extraction you need, we will use some form of anesthetic. For simple extractions, we’ll use a local anesthetic to numb the affected area. You can also opt for sedation medicine to help you relax if you’re nervous about the treatment.

For surgical extractions, we’ll use a local anesthetic and suggest a more moderate sedation. During your tooth extraction, you may feel some pressure, but you should not feel any pain. In fact, most patients that need an emergency tooth extraction feel a tremendous amount of relief after we remove their damaged tooth.

After your tooth extraction, we will give you follow-up instructions to help your mouth heal. Usually, discomfort after a tooth extraction is mild. If pain occurs, taking anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen (Advil or Motrin) can help reduce it.

After your extraction, we will instruct you to bite on a piece of gauze for about 20 to 30 minutes until the area begins to heal and bleed less. You can reduce swelling by putting an ice pack on your face. For a few days after extraction, you should only eat soft and cold food. We’ll also help you design a treatment plan to restore the lost tooth and rehabilitate your dental health.

At Vero Dental Spa, our emergency dentists have advanced training and experience to help you feel as comfortable as possible in the event of an emergency or traumatic experience. During your emergency tooth extraction, you can rest assured that we will work with you to find the best restorative treatment plan. Call us today and treat your dental pain!