An extraction is the technical term for “pulling a tooth”. While a tooth extraction is considered oral surgery, it is commonly done in a general dentists’ office! In some scenarios, if there are certain health implications or a tooth’s roots are too close to a nerve a referral will be given and an oral surgeon will perform the extraction. However, at River Run Dental Spa we do perform tooth extractions in our office, in which our dentists are board certified and extensively trained to safely and effectively extract teeth so you can be assured that you will be comfortable and well taken care of during the procedure.
The Extraction Appointment:
At your appointment, the dentist will make sure that you are numb before beginning the procedure. You will be given a local anesthetic that will numb the nerves of the gums and teeth to ensure that you do not feel any poking or prodding. Once it is determined that you are numb and do not feel any pain, the doctor will begin to push and wiggle the tooth out little by little. This can be a process that involves some patience! Nonetheless, once the tooth is loosened up it will be removed in pieces or as a whole. The tooth socket (hole) will be left and cleaned out so that healing can be prioritized. Stitches may be inserted to help with healing, depending on what the doctor chooses. Following, you will be given a series of post operative instructions that you will want to be sure you pay attention to!
Specifically, you will want to take it easy! This means the doctor is instructing you to relax and not to do things that will increase blood flow. If you work, it may be in your best interest to take the remainder of the day off just to rest and unwind to be safe. If you work a desk job and absolutely cannot take off, this should be fine but you may want to speak with the doctor just to be certain. Do make sure that you do not perform any heavy exercise or heavy lifting as this can increase blood flow to the extraction site, thus causing additional inflammation that we prefer to stay away from. We want your extraction site to heal as best as possible and relaxing and “babying” the area is one of the best ways to do so.
Questions?
If you have questions about working after an extraction or need a note for work regarding a future extraction, the doctors at River Run Dental Spa would be more than happy to help you! Please contact our Richmond, VA dental office or give us a call at (804) 409-3159.