If you have a toothache and can’t see your dentist, you may consider having an emergency tooth extraction performed by your general practitioner or at an urgent care center. However, don’t assume that you can skip the dentist after this procedure – there are some important things you should know to ensure you get the best possible treatment and avoid any problems in the future. Here’s what you need to know about caring for an emergency tooth extraction.
5 Things You Should Know Before Going to the Dentist
Dentists are terrific people. They always want to help, and they always try their best. Still, sometimes things go wrong. And when they do, it’s important to know how your insurance works so you don’t end up owing more than you can afford. The following tips will help make sure that your next trip to the dentist goes as smoothly as possible 1) Make sure you have dental insurance; 2) Learn about your coverage limits; 3) If necessary, shop around for a dentist with affordable prices; 4) Ask if price quotes include any discounts or rebates; 5) Understand what a fixed fee is versus an hourly rate.
What Happens During Emergency Tooth Extraction
After your gums have been numbed, your dentist will trim away excess bone and tissue. Next, he or she will gently pull your gum back over your tooth and use dental floss to stitch it in place. Finally, you’ll receive a temporary filling for protection until you can make it back in for a permanent one. Your dentist may also recommend taking painkillers to help alleviate discomfort during recovery.
5 Tips on Caring for Your Tooth Extractions at Home
If you have had a tooth pulled, you probably have some questions about what’s next. You can call and ask your dentist, but let’s be honest – most dentists are swamped and probably too busy to chat. Online resources are great for general information but in-person advice from your dental professional is always best. But what if you don’t have a dental professional nearby? The internet isn’t always right and sometimes things happen that require immediate attention. Follow these 5 tips on caring for your extracted teeth so they heal correctly until you can meet with your dental professional
4 After-Care Dental Treatment Options
After a tooth is removed, it’s important that you contact your dentist and follow their instructions. Depending on your condition, there are four common options for dental care. If your wisdom teeth have been removed, you may still be able to keep all of them in your mouth and benefit from proper oral hygiene. Your dentist will take x-rays and assess how healthy each wisdom tooth is before determining whether or not they can remain in place. Here are some treatments you may receive
Dentist Appointment
It is important that you see a dentist within 24 hours. Immediately following your emergency, it is recommended that you remove food particles from your mouth by rinsing with warm salt water. If there are any sutures in place, you should avoid eating or drinking anything other than liquids until after they have been removed. After 72 hours, regular brushing and flossing will help prevent infection.
During regular visits with your dentist, you should make sure to schedule a cleaning and exam so that small problems don’t become big ones! Brushing, flossing and avoiding snacking on sugary foods will reduce plaque buildup and keep your teeth strong. The sooner you get back to brushing as usual, while taking extra care when doing so near your gums, teeth extractions and new fillings, the better! In addition to dental checkups twice a year (at least), we recommend visiting us once every six months for professional cleanings at our Columbia office. A prophylaxis removes plaque between visits.
Mouth Rinse
After a tooth extracted, it’s a good idea to rinse your mouth out with cold water to reduce any bleeding. In addition, you should drink lots of liquids or chew sugarless gum that day—they can help get rid of any blood and keep your mouth feeling clean. To be extra careful, avoid brushing or rinsing your mouth for at least 24 hours after having a tooth removed by an oral surgeon or other health care professional. If you’re prone to dry sockets (when bone loses its blood supply) ask your doctor what he or she recommends for pain relief and follow their instructions carefully. Good luck!
You did a brave thing in going through that ordeal. And let us know if you have questions about anything else we didn’t cover here. We're happy to help where we can. An important step of postoperative care is oral hygiene instruction so patients understand why and how to maintain their teeth after extractions. The patient who doesn't receive proper hygiene instruction can create many problems. Oral hygiene following tooth extraction results in increased comfort, healing rate, and prevention of infection versus delayed healing secondary to inadequate surgical site management. Furthermore, gingival reattachment is hastened due to enhanced circulation associated with patient-controlled mouth rinses. Successful postsurgical periodontal treatment depends on strict compliance with dental plaque control methods Further studies are needed assessing both short-term and long-term effects in different types of populations. Understanding exactly how these solutions work is still incomplete.
Pain Relief
After surgery, take ibuprofen (Advil) or acetaminophen (Tylenol) every four hours, as needed for pain. Take only enough to help you rest comfortably; do not exceed 10 tablets of either in 24 hours. For chronic pain, talk with your doctor about using a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug such as Celebrex or Aspirin. Avoid codeine and narcotics, which will make you more groggy and drowsy than necessary. Also limit liquids and foods that can get into your empty socket—you’ll need to keep it clean and free of debris—until your next appointment.
Protect your Surgical Site and Oral Health
The best way to protect your surgical site is to practice good oral hygiene while it heals. While you should avoid eating sticky or hard foods and flossing your teeth until instructed by your doctor, gently brushing will help keep food debris from collecting around where your tooth was extracted. The bristles on a soft-bristled manual brush are gentler than those on electric ones, so they're better for healing gums. To be extra cautious and prevent any further injury, store in a glass of water and place them under running water before use.
Avoid mouthwash and chewing gum; both can irritate tender tissue as well as reintroduce bacteria into your wound. Although you’ll want to reduce mouth activity as much as possible, drinking plenty of water will also reduce swelling. If a blow-dryer feels comfortable against your cheek and does not seem too hot, that’s okay for now — but just make sure not to hold it directly over where your tooth was removed. Limit activities like smoking, drinking alcohol and intense exercise until at least 48 hours after surgery; these increase blood flow which causes increased swelling that could impair healing.
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