Severe Tooth Pain, Will I Need an Extraction?
Tooth pain can occur for a variety of reasons. You may have damage to a tooth, decay or be suffering from gum disease causing severe pain and discomfort. There are also non-dental causes of tooth pain, which involve sinus infections, headaches, disease, and drug abuse or vitamin deficiencies. Although, the question that may be at hand is, what indicates the need for a tooth extraction?
Why would I need a tooth extracted?
A tooth may need to be extracted, or removed because of trauma, decay or disease. If a tooth cannot be restored with a simple fix, this would indicate a situation where an extraction would be beneficial. In other words, if a tooth were severely infected, this would be considered a tooth that is not savable and would need to be extracted immediately. Situations like this one and several others can explain any severe pain associated with a problem tooth.
Will an extraction hurt?
If a dentist has evaluated tooth pain and they have recommended an extraction as part of your treatment, you may have concerns if the procedure will hurt. However, you can be assured that you will be numb during the process. Above all, one of the largest goals of a dentist is to ensure that his or hers patients are comfortable. The last thing they would want is for you to experience any pain during an extraction procedure. For some individuals, it can be difficult to make numb. If you believe you may take more anesthetic to get numb, please relay that information to the dentist, as it is very helpful to know.
Instructions Following an Extraction:
After an extraction, it is very important that you follow the instructions given by the dentist. Most likely they will tell you to avoid smoking, drinking out of a straw and eating any foods that can make it difficult to chew. As a recommendation, the dentist would give instructions to elevate your head at night, change and replace gauze in the extraction area every couple of hours or use a cold compress to minimize swelling. It is important to follow these directions because they are meant to ensure a speedy recovery!
In the event that you are experiencing any severe tooth pain, please contact Wells Family Dental Group immediately! At our office we do offer emergency extractions and same day services should you need immediate care. Once you are in the chair, we will perform a thorough evaluation of your mouth to assess any problems you are experiencing.