I’m Supposed to Get an Extraction Soon. Will I Recover by the Holidays?

If you have visited with a dentist recently and it was suggested you receive an extraction, the chances are your treatment is time sensitive. In fact, depending on the reason for extraction, you may not be able to delay treatment at all and would need to get your extraction taken care of immediately. For instance, a scenario where an extraction would need to be taken care of immediately would a tooth with a serious infection. In cases like infected teeth, you would not want to wait for conditions to worsen as that could cause further damage.

What is an extraction?

An extraction is the removal of a tooth. A tooth may need to be extracted because of disease, trauma or crowing in the mouth. If you need to get an extraction, the dentist will first numb the area to ensure that no pain is felt during the procedure. After all, the number one goal of the dentist is to make sure that you are comfortable and cared for during the extraction procedure, so be sure to notify your dentist if you feel discomfort at any moment.

Following an extraction:

Once the dentist has successfully removed the necessary tooth (or teeth) from the mouth, a set of instructions will be given to you to follow for a healthy recovery. Generally, you can expect to eat only soft foods that won’t irritate the extraction site, refrain from smoking and avoid drinking from a straw for at least a week. Additionally, try to limit any strenuous activity for a couple days or so following the procedure to ensure that proper healing can take place. Think of using the recovery period as a time for rest!

A full recovery can take anywhere from a few days to several days, depending on the individual. If you are worried about recovery for an extraction procedure interfering with any holiday festivities like Thanksgiving, do remind yourself that treatment is much more beneficial sooner rather than later. Really consider the consequences if you waited to postpone treatment until after the holidays.

However, if you’re usually one who heals quickly, it is likely that you would be in good shape by Thanksgiving, but if not, you should definitely feel as good as new come Christmas time.

Questions?

If you are concerned about an extraction procedure or have further questions regarding an extraction, please contact Wells Family Dental Group. Our staff is dedicated to our patients and we want to make certain that you are prepared and informed of any extraction procedure.