In certain circumstances, a tooth might have to be removed from a patient’s mouth. This is, of course, the last resort and dentists would much rather save the tooth. But if the tooth has been so damaged for whatever reason and is not able to function as a tooth should, there may be no other option. Dentists are expert at this procedure but there can be complications. One of these potential complications is known as dry socket and you should be aware of it if you need to have a tooth removed from your mouth.

In the period immediately after having a tooth removed, you will always experience some degree of pain; this quite normal and is an unavoidable consequence of the procedure that has been carried out. But if the pain is particularly bad and is just not going away then you should notify your dentist because it might be that you are experiencing dry socket.

Essentially the cause of dry socket is a failure of the blood to clot properly in the aftermath of a dental extraction. The site will become rather painful and experience a great degree of sensitivity. This sensitivity can occur as a result of eating hot or cold foods and sometimes with breathing in air that touches the affected area and makes it hurt.

Your blood might fail to clot properly if you are on drugs which are suppressing the immune system or taking any birth control pill. Failing to take the right sort of care of the affected area can dislodge the necessary clot too and then dry socket will occur.

Take good care of the area of a tooth extraction and report any difficulties to your London dentist.

A tooth extraction is the process of removing one or more teeth for one of several reasons. Depending on the reason, the tooth may or may not be replaced by the dentist carrying out the procedure. Some of the most common reason for requiring an extraction include for straightening purposes either directly, or to create room for a brace to be fully effective. Extractions are also needed to create room for tooth to come through. In some cases, the late developing wisdom teeth need to be removed because they can be the source of great pain.

Before the extraction, your London dentist will conduct a thorough examination of your teeth. The procedure will usually be carried out under a local anaesthetic, which means you will be awake for the procedure but will not be able to feel any pain. Once under the anaesthetic the dentist will use a tool called an elevator to loosen the tooth. They will then continue to loosen the tooth until eventually it is free to come out. You will feel some pressure in your mouth as this is happening but this will not be accompanied by any pain. The dentist may need to carry out further work of the root is very deep in the gum. They will then repair any damage that has been caused to the soft tissue, sometimes with stitches and take measures to stop and bleeding or chance of infection.

The procedure will require you to spend some time afterwards relaxing. This is because it can be a stressful experience for the body and you will need some time to recuperate. Your London dentist will be on hand to answer any questions you mat have should you require an extraction for any reason.

One of the most common dental procedures is tooth extraction. In order to feel more comfortable with the idea of having your tooth removed by a London dentist, it will probably help if you learn about what this procedure involves.

Simply put, tooth extraction is the removal of one or more teeth as part of a treatment program. There are actually a lot of reasons why your dentist will recommend extraction of the tooth and they include the following:

• Decaying tooth – if not extracted, it could lead to nerve damage and painful abscess due to infection
• Teeth crowding – if your teeth are simply too big for your mouth resulting to crooked teeth. Removal of a tooth or several teeth will solve this problem.
• Impacted tooth – when one of your tooth is impacted
• Gum disease – if the tooth have loosened because of damage to the bone and ligaments that hold it in place

The tooth extraction procedure will involve the use of sedative to help alleviate your anxiety as well as anaesthesia. Depending on your preference, you can choose to stay awake or be asleep for the entire procedure.

Using an elevator and special forceps, your dentist will first loosen the target tooth and then move it gently until the actual extraction. You should expect bleeding from the site and there are even cases when the procedure will require stitches.

Some swelling and discomfort will be experienced after the tooth extraction. You could ask your dentist for a mild pain reliever. There are actually very few complications that come with this dental procedure including:

• Sever pain
• Fever
• Prolonged bleeding
• Severe swelling

If you experience any of these, you should immediately contact your London dentist

Why is a tooth extraction performed? An extraction is performed when a tooth is broken down, or severely decayed and/or damaged. When visiting a London dentist, they may attempt to try to save the tooth by performing fillings, or root canal treatment and a crown. However, if it is decided by you and your dentist that the tooth cannot be saved, then a tooth extraction will be performed. It is the process of removing the tooth from its surrounding bony structure.
There are several other reasons why a tooth may require extraction. These include the following: 1) the eruption of a tooth may be hindered by another tooth as in the case of wisdom teeth and other impacted teeth; 2) if orthodontic treatment is required and there is not enough space in your mouth; 3) if you are undergoing head and neck radiation your teeth may be destroyed by the X-rays and lack of saliva in your mouth; 4) if you are undergoing chemotherapy for cancer tooth infections may occur, as these drugs weaken the overall immune system; and 5) if you have undergone or plan to undergo an organ transplant, as you have be much more prone to infections because you are taking immune system suppressing drugs.

If we think about the intense pain in our teeth that drive us crazy, we would simply love to pull that one out to stop the pain it causes. But wait! Don’t do that. We have another option to extraction of teeth. All of us would prefer to keep our own teeth instead of getting a bridge or denture. Here we can be helped with root canal therapy, which is also called endodontic therapy. This procedure is helpful in restoring dead teeth, where the pulp is damaged or dead. All the teeth have enamel, dentine, and pulp. This pulp is contained in a chamber at the centre of the dentine called pulp chamber, which extends to the tip of the teeth roots via narrow tubular canals called root canal. The pulp filling the root canals is highly vascularised and also contains nerve tissues. Hence, when we have caries or deep cavities on the surface of the tooth, it gets direct connection to the sensitive pulp and we feel sudden pain or sensitivity to heat, cold, or sweets. When exposed, there is greater chance of the pulp to become infected and later causing a chronic infection or abscess. When there is an infection, we get pain and swelling around the teeth. If this condition is treated early by filling the cavity, the tooth can be saved. However, if the condition progresses untreated, a chronic infection or necrosis of the pulp ensues leading to darkening or discoloration of the teeth. Now the pulp cannot be saved and has to be removed, as it has become the seat of chronic infection and pain. For this, your dentist would advice you to undergo a root canal therapy so that the decayed part can be removed while maintaining the root structure. Generally, this type of treatment requires 1 to 2 visits to your dentist. Majority of London citizens are fearful of root canal therapy, thinking it to be very painful. Actually, the procedure itself is not painful. Before beginning the procedure, your dentist might take an x-ray to find out the extent of decay or infection. He will then cover the tooth with a rubber dam to keep the tooth dry and will make an external hole to get access to the root canal. Through this hole, the dead pulp and abscess and/bacteria would be removed and the root canal would be emptied. After emptying, the tooth will be filled with gutta percha, a putty like material and the external hole will be sealed. As an anaesthetic is used to numb your teeth, you won’t feel any pain during the procedure. But if filling is delayed, you might feel some pain and sensitivity, which can be relieved by over-the-counter medications. After filling and sealing the cavity, the tooth can be treated to regain its natural colour using suitable techniques. You might be needed to avoid chewing hard substances for sometime after treatment. After the root canal therapy, teeth look natural and with proper hygiene and dental care, root canals last lifelong.