Toothaches stem from various causes, and dentists remedy the situation by providing multiple treatment options. Sadly, sometimes your dentist can exhaust all the available restorative treatment options when the dental condition worsens, forcing them to opt for an emergency tooth removal. Typically, tooth extraction, also called exodontia, is not something you plan for due to its urgent nature. You must make spontaneous and quick decisions, especially when you have a gum disease that can escalate and infect other teeth.
So, when you experience a severe toothache and are wondering whether emergency dental services are necessary or want to schedule an urgent meeting, The Whittier Dentist can provide emergency tooth extraction services. Our dentists will explain whether your case is an emergency and give the reasons for recommending emergency exodontia.
Understanding Emergency Tooth Removal or Extraction
Tooth extraction or exodontia is the most dreaded dental procedure involving pulling out or removing a tooth from its opening in the jaw. The process is typical among people of all age groups, adults and children included. Often, tooth extractions occur as an emergency when unexpected.
The most commonly extracted tooth among adults is the wisdom tooth, and dentists generate billions of money just from extracting this tooth globally. Wisdom tooth removal is prevalent as patients attempt to prevent complications like impacted teeth during the eruption of permanent molars. It is critical to have your wisdom or molars removed as early as possible. The conditions will allow for bacteria breeding when you delay, resulting in severe and life-threatening oral conditions.
When it comes to a dental emergency, it is best to retain emergency dental care services because you never know when one will come knocking on the door. Your child can fall while playing, cracking or fracturing their teeth. An emergency dentistry service will be crucial in these situations as the child will require an emergency tooth pulling out to alleviate the pain. Your last wish at a time of an emergency is to start looking for a dental expert at this hour of need in a flooded market. You will not find the right person hence the need to have one in advance.
It is not only your children that can have a dental emergency. Besides, you can be a victim, primarily after an accident that causes a tooth to fracture past repair or have tooth decay with severe pain. In times like these, you will need an emergency exodontia, and the only dental professionals offering these services are emergency dentists. Not every dental clinic offers emergency tooth removal services meaning you will need more time to find the right dentist to remove the affected tooth.
Usually, dentists arrive at a tooth extraction procedure as the last resort where no other viable treatment option is available. Also, tooth removal is feared by many patients as they associate the process with severe pain. Nonetheless, the good news is that you do not need to be afraid of tooth extraction nowadays. The technological and medical advances made in the recent past have enabled dentists to comfortably and easily extract teeth without causing severe pain.
The right dental expert will recommend an emergency tooth removal where all other repairs or restorative options have failed. Also, when the impacted tooth causes severe pain, mainly due to bacterial infection, the dental expert will recommend pulling it out. The treatment option is performed by an oral surgeon or dentist, depending on the tooth condition.
Emergency Tooth Removal or Extraction Causes
As mentioned above, tooth extraction is usually a last resort, significantly where the underlying tooth condition has escalated to alarming levels to the extent restorative procedures cannot help protect the nearby teeth from being impacted. An emergency tooth removal is necessary to save other teeth in situations like these. Abscessed teeth are the primary causes of emergency tooth removal. However, there are other reasons why a dental professional will recommend the procedure. Discussed below are some of the causes of an extraction:
Severe Tooth Trauma
Whether caused by a motorcycle, vehicle, or bicycle, accidents can result in cracked and chipped teeth whose sole remedy is an extraction. Again, sports injuries, biting hard food, or a fall can result in the prerequisite for urgent tooth removal.
However, when you experience trauma on your teeth and the resulting fracture does not cause extreme pain, this will not constitute a dental emergency. Nevertheless, you must be careful while chewing not to break the rest. A restorative procedure like dental composite can help restore the tooth.
On the other hand, a fracture or chip caused by trauma will require an emergency exodontia when the damage extends from the outside to the inside of the tooth, causing enormous pain. When you experience trauma causing the affected tooth fractures or cracks, it indicates the damage extends to the inside of the tooth. Therefore, when you fall or suffer trauma to your mouth, causing several fractures on your teeth, you must schedule an emergency meeting with your dentist.
When you walk into the dental clinic, they will perform an x-ray on the affected tooth for an accurate diagnosis. The tooth will require a root canal if the damage extends to the pulp. However, dental crowns will be a solution when the damage is only on the outside. When the damage is extreme, and there is a risk of infection around the fractured area, you will undergo an emergency exodontia.
Sometimes, the trauma can be on the jaw. Therefore, if you experience severe jaw pain, you will need an emergency exodontia around the area where the pain is emanating to try and determine the cause of the trauma. The best way to establish this cause is by removing the teeth around the area the dentist suspects the trauma to understand the source.
Severe Infections
Another common reason the dentist will recommend an emergency tooth removal is when you have a severe bacterial infection inside the tooth, also called dental abscess, or on the gum tissue, known as periodontal disease.
One common cause of infections is tooth decay. When you have dental caries that damage the nerves around the tooth, other restorative treatment options are not viable, forcing the dentist to opt for an urgent extraction. Severe tooth decay is associated with extreme pain. When there are no emergency dentistry services like tooth extraction, the bacterial infection will spread to other teeth causing severe oral problems.
Another cause of severe bacterial infection is gum or periodontal disease. At first, gum disease causes mild symptoms making you assume the condition. Sadly, this allows the bacteria to spread to the gums, causing a severe illness that weakens the teeth, necessitating an emergency exodontia. Luckily, you can avoid the extraction by seeking treatment early or observing proper hygiene to prevent infection on the gums.
Impacted molars could also be a source of severe bacterial infection. Usually, molars or wisdom teeth erupt when you are in adolescence and early twenties. At this time, if your jaw lacks enough space to accommodate the erupting molars, they can become stuck below the gums or push other teeth out of their positions, resulting in bacterial infection.
Other causes of oral infections include failed restorations, treatment options like a root canal, and ill-fitting dentures. These oral conditions can cause severe infections requiring emergency dental care. Some of the symptoms of oral disease that you will experience include:
- The extreme, excruciating pain that spreads to the ear, neck, and jaws
- Severe tooth sensitivity
- Swallowing or breathing problems
- Swollen lymph nodes
- Cellulitis or face swelling
When the Whittier Dentist establishes you need an emergency exodontia, you should not be anxious or afraid. We adopt state-of-the-art technology for the procedure to streamline and make it comfortable.
Symptoms of an Emergency Exodontia
The symptoms of an emergency exodontia are unique, and you will always know when to contact an emergency dentistry service. So, if you begin to experience any of the above symptoms, it is time to consult with The Whittier Dentist:
- Severe or unusual sensitivity around the teeth
- Extreme tooth pain
- Existence of pus or white fluid around the teeth
- Bad mouth odor
- Intense pain in the gums
- Teeth discoloration or darkening
- Swelling in the cheek, eyes, or throat
- Swelling in the jaws making it challenging and painful to open and close the mouth
When you notice these symptoms, it is time to speak to an emergency dentist before the infection becomes life-threatening or spreads to other teeth or body parts.
What to Expect During the Procedure
Before commencing the extraction procedure, you must discuss your medical and dental history with the dentist. Understanding the medical record is essential because it enables the dentist to know the medications that could cause complications during treatment. Also, if you are allergic to a particular medicine, inform the dentist because some patients experience allergic reactions to the anesthetic, which could result in complications. When the dentist establishes medication that triggers allergic reactions, they will avoid it, making the treatment safe.
Patients of all ages with different immune systems and infections undergo emergency extraction. Performing a tooth extraction procedure when a patient has a disease is dangerous because it could prevent the open socket from healing or spread the infection to other body parts. Therefore, your dentist will administer antibiotics first to prevent bacterial infection after treatment. The medication is issued when you are about to undergo a lengthy emergency extraction surgery.
Also, it is critical to mention other medications you are on, like herbal medicine or over-the-counter prescriptions, mainly if you are to undergo a surgical exodontia. Some drugs affect blood clotting, and when you undergo surgery while on this kind of medication, you can experience excessive bleeding.
As mentioned earlier, tooth extraction is a dreaded treatment because of its pain. Because of this, The Whittier Dentist administers general or local anesthesia to prevent discomfort and help you relax during treatment. So, we will discuss anesthesia and sedation options as part of the preparations. Anesthesia causes loss of sensation or awareness during the surgery period, making the treatment pain-free.
On the other hand, sedation is used during invasive tooth extraction where a surgical procedure is necessary. These are intended to help you relax or stay calm before the complex treatment. When you choose sedation as the mode of relaxation, you must find someone to drive you home after the treatment because it causes hallucinations which can deter you from operating the vehicle safely.
Kinds of Emergency Exodontia
Our dentists at The Whittier Dentist have two ways of conducting an emergency tooth removal. The choice of the procedure is based on your underlying or the existing state of your oral condition. Your case is unique from other dental patients meaning the treatment option depends on your situation. Some of the emergency extraction techniques your dentist will employ are:
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Simple Extraction
As the name suggests, a simple extraction is a quick technique for removing teeth visible above the gum line or can be gripped and pulled out by forceps. However, before administering the treatment option, the dentist must perform a thorough oral evaluation and diagnose the symptoms. If, after evaluation, the dentist determines the tooth can be removed using forceps, they will administer local anesthesia and pull the tooth out.
Before pulling out the infected tooth, the dentist will widen its socket by applying forceps to it in different directions. By doing this, your dentist widens the tooth socket making it easy to pull out the tooth without causing fractures that further complicate the treatment.
Once the socket is wide enough, the dentist firmly grasps the tooth using forceps and pulls it out. When the extraction is done, the dentist puts a few stitches on the tooth, and the procedure will be complete.
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Surgical Extraction
Surgical tooth removal applies when extracting unerupted molars or a tooth broken below the gum line and is not visible through the mouth. An emergency exodontia using a surgical procedure is invasive because the oral surgeon must cut open the gums to pull out the infected tooth. As a result, the treatment exposes patients to further infection.
Before the treatment, a dentist from The Whittier Dentist will administer local anesthesia to numb the area around the tooth to prevent pain. Also, because the surgical equipment can cause anxiety, the dentist will sedate you using oral pills or nitrogen oxide gas. The sedation will help keep you calm throughout the treatment to prevent interruptions. It will take a few minutes to kick in, and the gums and jaw around the extraction tooth will be numb.
The dentist will then make an incision and lift or remove the tissue covering the infected tooth. Because of this, you should expect some bleeding, although this will be handled once the tooth has been extracted by stitching the tissue back together. If the tooth is firmly anchored on the jawbone, the dentist will break it into small pieces to enable extraction.
Once the tooth is extracted, the dentist will stitch the skin back together and, where necessary, add natural or synthetic bone to the jaw. Some stitches will be absorbed, while others will need to be pulled out by the dentists one week after the procedure.
Modern Emergency Exodontia
Emergency tooth extraction has been made comfortable and quick in today's world through technological advancements like lasers and electrosurgery. However, conventional dental drills and scalpels are still used by some dentists for surgical extractions. Lasers are high-energy electromagnetic beams that cut through the tissue covering the tooth to be extracted. On the other end, electrosurgery relies on controlled heat to make incisions on the gum tissue.
When looking for a dentist to perform an emergency tooth removal, you need to pick one who adopts this new technology because of its benefits. One advantage of lasers is that they are more precise than traditional scalpels. Besides, the dentist can focus on the extraction site without damaging the nearby teeth, jawbone, or gum because of the precision. Again, lasers and electrosurgery avoid unnecessary incisions, causing minor bleeding, enabling you to remain calm and comfortable throughout the procedure. Another benefit is that advanced technology in treatment allows quick healing.
Aftercare
After the extraction, you need to allow the wound to heal. The dentist will discourage you from smoking or tobacco use because these habits hinder the healing ability of the gums and could make your extraction site take longer than required to heal. We at The Whittier Dentist encourage you to quit smoking for quick healing and recovery because the repeated sucking motions affect blood clotting, which is critical in faster healing.
Similarly, immediately the procedure is completed, the dentist or oral surgeon will give you a gauze to bite on to apply pressure on the wound to stop the bleeding by allowing blood to clot. Ensure to change the gauze before it is entirely soaked by blood. We recommend changing it after 45 minutes. Before the blood clots, you will experience discomfort and inflammation around the extraction site. This should not be a cause for alarm because it is something normal that you can prevent by taking OTC painkillers.
Consequently, you can place a cold compress or ice pack outside the extraction site to decrease the inflammation. Also, you can relieve pressure from the jaws by sleeping head face upward and elevated by a pillow. When the jaws feel stiff after the swelling has decreased, use a warm compress to alleviate the stiffness.
Also, you are free to rinse your mouth using warm saline water 24 hours after the procedure to help dissipate the swelling and alleviate the pain. Even though you are allowed to rinse the mouth, avoid hard rinsing because it will remove the blood clot that had already formed over the wound, causing bleeding and slowing down healing.
As you recover, stick to soft foods to streamline the healing process. As the wound heals, you can increase your consumption of solid foods. Besides, you should keep off carbonated drinks, alcohol, hot drinks, or foods with small grains for at least two days after treatment.
When you follow the above guidelines after treatment, you will recover faster. However, when you experience abnormal symptoms that last more than 24 hours, you should contact your dentist for examination.
Benefits of the Procedure
If you want to end constant pain and dental infections, an emergency tooth removal is a solution. When it is an infection causing you tooth problems, your dentist will first treat the disease and leave you with healthy teeth and gums. After the wound has healed, you can consider other procedures like dental implants and crowns to replace the missing tooth.
Emergency tooth removal has multiple benefits, and the main one is that it ensures quick recovery. When you experience dental issues and seek treatment on time, the dentist will identify the infection on time and extract the infected teeth to prevent the disease from spreading to other teeth or body parts.
Also, when you want a healthy life, you should ensure you have healthy teeth and gums. Regular visits to the dentist will identify the infected teeth early, and an emergency tooth extraction will be performed, treating the infection thoroughly before it spreads. When you delay seeking treatment, the disease will spread to the gums, adjacent teeth, and the jaw, exposing you to future oral complications. An excellent example of how emergency exodontia reduces future complications is unerupted wisdom teeth. When the unerupted molars are identified and removed on time, it creates room for others to grow to prevent future dental health risks.
Lastly, when you experience emergency tooth removal symptoms, visiting your dentist on time will enable them to evaluate your condition using an x-ray for correct diagnosis. Sometimes, the diagnosis can show a tooth extraction is not necessary if other restorative options are available.
Find an Experienced Emergency Dentist Near Me
If you are looking for an emergency tooth extraction, The Whittier Dentist is eager to help. Our skilled and professional dentists offer top-class emergency services with flexible payment plans that differentiate us from our competitors. Therefore, if you have questions regarding this treatment or want to undergo treatment, call us today at 562-632-1223 to arrange a free consultation.
