We all expect our teeth to remain in place for our lifetime, but some situations make tooth extraction inevitable. If you have a bad tooth injury or you experience tooth decay which causes extreme pain, you may need to remove the tooth.
Most dentists prefer to offer different dental treatments like fillings or crowns when people have dental issues, but, in cases where a restorative treatment is not an option, dentists settle for an emergency tooth extraction.
Several dental emergencies which require tooth extraction occur, but most people do not recognise that it is an emergency. As you read on, you would know a few dental issues that require emergency dental extraction.
What is emergency dental extraction?
Generally, dental extraction involves the dentist removing a tooth due to crowding, disease or trauma. A dental issue, including tooth extraction, is an emergency when the patient needs immediate attention to preserve the tooth, alleviate pain or stop bleeding.
Signs that require emergency dental extraction
It is usually difficult for people to discern if the dental problem they have requires emergency dental care.
If you experience any of these dental symptoms, you might need an emergency dental extraction.
- Severe pain or sensitivity of a tooth or your gum
- Loose-fitting tooth
- Discharge of pus or white fluid from the mouth
- Teeth discolouration or darkening
- Painful swelling in the mouth which makes it difficult to open the mouth
Why do people undergo dental extraction?
People undergo dental extractions for different reasons, but here are a few common reasons for tooth extraction.
Teeth trauma
One of the common reasons for extracting a tooth is a traumatic injury to the tooth, which usually results from engaging in sports. The need for extraction following trauma in tooth depends on the severity and location of the injury.
If you experience a severe injury in your mouth, ensure you see an oral surgeon or dentist to assess your teeth' condition and take an x-ray of the affected area. The dentist will likely check the 10-year prognosis of your tooth, and if it looks good, you may not need a tooth extraction.
If you receive other treatment options, and they are not effective, or you have an infection in the affected area, your dentist will need to perform a tooth extraction. An example of a situation which needs tooth extraction is having a tooth fractured to your gum line.
Dental abscess
A dental abscess affects a tooth, and it leaves a pocket of pus around the tooth. Different parts of a tooth can have a dental abscess, depending on what causes the abscess, and it is usually painful. An abscess does not usually heal without treatment, so after a while, the affected tooth gets more infected, requiring an emergency tooth extraction.
Advanced periodontal disease
If you have deep pockets of bone decay, about 5mm or more, you may have to undergo tooth decay. If you have a deep pocket of bone decay, the dentist will refer you to a periodontist for an assessment and consultation to check the tooth decay severity. If the pain resulting from the periodontal disease is severe, you may need an emergency tooth extraction.
Severe dental caries
A common name for dental caries is tooth cavities or decay. It is usually painful when it spreads and exposes a nerve. In a few cases, tooth extraction may not be the best course of action.
The dentist may recommend root canal treatment when soft tissues in the teeth are either infected or inflamed. If the decay is severe, it may cause tooth pulp damage, and if you do not treat it on time, the only solution would be tooth extraction.
If you have a severe infection after a root canal treatment, you may need a tooth extraction.
Orthodontic treatment
In some cases, people with crowded teeth may need tooth extraction before their orthodontic treatment like braces. In most cases, dentists remove the teeth symmetrically to ensure the bite remains balanced.
These following are the two main reasons people undergo dental extraction before their orthodontic treatment.
- Misaligned teeth which occur because the jawbone is small
- The teeth are big compared to the size of the mouth
How does emergency dental extractions work?
Two methods of tooth extractions are available, and they include:
Simple extraction
If your teeth are above your gum line and the dentist can remove it easily using forceps, it is a simple dental extraction. Simple dental extraction procedure requires local anaesthetics, but some dentists may administer a sedative or anti-anxiety medication.
After the surgeon administers the local anaesthetics, it will take a few minutes for the mouth to become numb, and then the dentist will widen the socket of the tooth to be able to move the tooth sideways until it is loose enough to come off.
During a simple extraction, you may feel a little pressure, but not intensive pain. If you feel intense pain during the procedure, ensure you inform the dentist. In most cases, people take over-the-counter pain medications to alleviate pain.
Surgical extraction
During surgical dental extraction, the oral surgeon will remove bone or gum tissues before extracting the tooth. You may need a surgical extraction for the wisdom teeth or when the tooth is not visible because it is not grown or broken. The surgeon usually administers general anaesthetic before the procedure and prescribes pain medications afterwards.
What should you expect after an emergency dental extraction?
Your gums might bleed after your emergency dental extraction. Swelling and slight pain are also common after dental extractions. Healing usually takes about a week, but if you still feel the symptoms after 24 hours, contact your dentist.
Try to avoid hard foods after your dental extraction and place ice outside your mouth to aid recovery.
Takeaway
Your dentist is the right person to check if you need an emergency dental extraction, so if you have a dental issue, ensure you contact your dentist immediately. You can visit www.emergencydentistinlondon.co.uk to book an online dentist.
