WHY DO I NEED AN EXTRACTION?
Ideally, we’d love for every patient to keep all their original teeth, but sometimes this just isn’t the most appropriate option. We may recommend an extraction for a number of reasons, but these are the most common:
- Your tooth is impacted (partially or completely covered by gum tissue) and is at risk for decay or infection.
- Your tooth has decayed to the point where it can’t be saved and is putting your other teeth at risk.
- Your tooth has fractured beneath the gumline or is not stable enough for repair with a crown.
- A root canal has failed.
- Your teeth are too crowded for the size of your mouth and extraction is needed for orthodontic treatment to be effective.
- You are getting dentures and we need to extract your remaining teeth.
- Your wisdom teeth are causing problems and affecting the health of your other teeth.
DO ALL WISDOM TEETH NEED TO BE EXTRACTED?
Not all wisdom teeth need to be extracted. Hopefully, you’re one of the lucky ones whose wisdom teeth came in smoothly and don’t put excessive pressure on their other teeth!
Sometimes, however, wisdom teeth don’t come in fully or are too big for a patient’s jaw. In this case, extraction is the right answer to prevent infection or damage, which can lead to pain and more expensive treatment down the road. We’ll perform a thorough examination to see if your wisdom teeth are causing a problem and whether we can perform your extraction in our Seagrove or Miramar Beach dental office. If we can’t perform your procedure ourselves, we’ll refer you to a Santa Rosa Beach oral surgeon we know and trust to treat our patients well.
WILL I HAVE A LONG RECOVERY?
The length of your recovery will depend on whether you had a routine or a surgical extraction and also the extent to which you follow our after-care instructions. We want to help you avoid complications, and there are a few steps you can take to make your healing process as fast and easy as possible:
- Don’t suck liquids through a straw.This can dislodge the clot that is forming and lead to a painful complication called dry socket.
- Don’t smoke.Not only will the action of pulling on a cigarette have the same effect as sucking on a straw, smoking inhibits blood flow in your gums and will extend the length of healing time, making infection and other complications more likely.
- Take any prescriptions as directed.You may be prescribed anti-inflammatories or antibiotics. It’s important to take these exactly as prescribed and for the recommended length of time for the best outcome.
