Tooth Extraction
Most of our oral surgery involves removing teeth for various reasons like tooth decay, overcrowding, gum disease, and damage due to accidents. If it’s been a while since you’ve had a tooth pulled or have never had any teeth extracted, we want you to know that tooth extraction has come a long way in recent years. Advanced dental technology, including 3D imaging, intraoral cameras and scanners, and laser technology, allow general dentists like Dr. Perry to extract teeth with ease in most cases.
We focus on ensuring you’re always comfortable and try to save your natural teeth whenever possible, but a tooth extraction is sometimes necessary to protect your health. In some cases, removing wisdom teeth can be the only way to eliminate overcrowding and misaligned bites, and sometimes teeth must be removed to accommodate traditional braces or clear aligners like Invisalign® and ClearCorrect.
What to Expect with Tooth Extraction Surgery
Dr. Perry will discuss the process with you in person should you need it, but here’s a brief overview of what you can expect.
- To minimize pain and discomfort, a local anesthetic will be applied to the site of extraction. There should be no pain during the procedure, although you may feel pressure.
- The dentist loosens the tooth by gently rocking the tooth back and forth in the socket. Forceps are then used to remove the tooth.
- The infected or inflamed tissue is removed from the socket, and the hole is stitched to prevent infection.
As soon as the procedure is finished, Dr. Perry will apply gauze to the empty socket and ask you to gently bite down on the gauze. This stops the bleeding and helps your body form a blood clot in the new socket, which promotes quicker healing. You will also receive instructions on caring for the extraction site and be told what food and drinks to avoid while healing. Antibiotics may be prescribed, and suggestions for pain relief may be provided.
Other Types of Oral Surgery
You may need oral surgery to place dental implants. Or, a bone or gum graft may be necessary at some point in adulthood. A dental bone graft is a procedure performed to increase the amount of bone in a part where bone has been lost, or additional support is needed. Bone may be taken from elsewhere in the body and surgically fused to the existing bone in the jaw.
A dental bone graft is sometimes needed for further procedures, such as dental implants. You may also need a bone graft if bone loss has affected neighboring teeth and gums.
If gum recession is affecting your health or the appearance of your face, gingival (gum) grafting may be necessary. Gum grafting involves carefully placing a small amount of new tissue in an area where little or no gum tissue currently exists. A gum graft is typically recommended to prevent further gum recession or cover your teeth’ root surfaces. The tissue used in this procedure may come from various sources but is usually taken from the roof of the mouth. The areas treated in a gum graft procedure will be numbed first.
Learn More About Oral Surgery
Please call Perry Family Dentistry at (360) 424-3133 if you are looking for a general dentist who performs oral surgery in Mount Vernon, Washington. You may also fill out our online contact form, and one of our team members will contact you to schedule your appointment or answer any questions.
