It’s only natural for adult teeth to last for a lifetime. Unfortunately, this is usually not the case because of decay or physical injury that causes enormous pain that can result in pulling out the tooth. At The Hawthorne Dentist, we try to conserve and preserve your natural teeth without pulling them out. However, where restoration is not an option, our dentists provide emergency tooth extraction.
Overview of Emergency Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction, also called pulling a tooth, is the procedure in which a dentist removes a tooth from its socket. Tooth extraction happens where an accident has occurred, resulting in trauma. Also, when the damage on the teeth is beyond repair because of a disease or where teeth are overcrowded, a dentist will suggest pulling out the teeth. The dental problem or condition becomes an emergency where the trauma or injury on your tooth causes a lot of pain or bleeding. Emergency pulling of the tooth occurs to save the tooth, control bleeding, or ease the pain.
Causes of Emergency Tooth Extraction
Some people don’t know when an emergency tooth extraction is necessary. Some of the things or reasons that might pressure you to consider tooth extraction include:
- Dental Caries
When you have severe tooth decay or cavities, and you fail to address the problem on time, caries will enlarge, reaching to the nerves. Severe cavities will result in a lot of sensitivity or pain in the teeth or gums. In such a case, a Hawthorne Emergency Dentist will not rush to pull the teeth out. Instead, he or she will explore other restorative solutions like a root canal in cases where the soft tissue is inflamed or infected. Dental fillings or implant-supported crowns help to restore the appearance and functionality of the teeth. But if caries or cavities extend to the pulp, an emergency extraction will be your only way out. Also, you might require tooth removal if the root canal, filling, or crown fails after treatment.
- Physical Trauma to the Teeth
Preventing accidents is almost impossible, especially if you are a sportsperson. Engaging in individual sports exposes you to the risk of sustaining injuries on your teeth. The position of the tooth and the extent of the trauma will determine if an extraction will happen or not.
If you suffer a physical injury on your teeth, visit your emergency dentist immediately. Because dental emergencies can occur anytime, you should engage with a dentist who is open 24 hours a day. If your dental office is not accessible at the time of the accident, you might have to wait for the next day or look for an alternative dentist. If a dental problem is left unattended for some time, it might escalate the issue. Therefore, work with a dentist whom you can see any time when you have an emergency.
The moment you get into the dental office after the trauma, your oral surgeon or dentist will take an x-ray of the section with injuries. If the x-ray shows that the tooth or teeth are okay or not extensively damaged, repairs are possible. But if the injured area is infected or other methods of treatment have not been fruitful, the dentist will have to consider an emergency tooth extraction. A tooth that has cracked after an accident, and the fracture extends to the gum line cannot be restored. The only option is extraction.
- An Abscess on Your Gums
A dental abscess is an infection that occurs on the gums or around your teeth. The viruses cause a pocket of pus, which results in enormous pain. An abscess is not something that can heal without treatment, and it can spread to other teeth. The root canal is the right treatment if the pulp is abscessed.
If the problem goes unattended for a long time, your teeth become more infected, and the pain becomes extreme, forcing the dentist to opt for an emergency extraction.
- Damage Stemming from Gum Disease
Periodontal disease or gum disease affects the jawbone and the tissues that connect your tooth to the jaw. When the gum disease progresses without any treatment, it causes deep pockets of bone decay. Supportive gums, bones, and tissues end up being damaged and no longer able to provide adequate support to the teeth, leaving them loose. Aside from the teeth being weak, gum disease causes a lot of pain, and to try to prevent the pain, your dentist will have to perform an emergency tooth extraction.
- Orthodontic Treatment
During an orthodontic procedure, an emergency tooth extraction may be necessary to create space for braces where there is overcrowding on the jawline. The removal occurs systematically to prevent overbites. The reason for tooth extraction during orthodontic treatment is for alignment purposes or to get rid of the teeth that are too big for your mouth. Whatever the reason for the orthodontic treatment, teeth extraction must occur before the commencement of the procedure.
- Risk Prevention
If you are undergoing chemotherapy treatment or a major medical procedure like an organ transplant, your immune system is likely to weaken. If a tooth or teeth are susceptible to infection, and the immune system reduces during these procedures, you are going to contract oral health complications that might result in other health issues. For this reason, a doctor might suggest an emergency tooth extraction if he or she realizes that specific teeth are vulnerable to infections, and the medical procedure you are undertaking might increase the risk of disease. Tooth extraction, therefore, could occur in conjunction with these medical procedures.
- Wisdom Teeth Removal
When you are between the age of 17 to 25, that’s when the 3rd molars begin to grow. At this time, your mouth is usually developed, and the wisdom might not have space for erupting. Because of the limited space, they might press against other teeth or grow on the wrong angle, resulting in dental issues. When such incidences occur, a dentist will suggest emergency removal of the wisdom teeth.
Ways of Telling if you Need an Emergency Tooth Extraction
The majority of people with dental issues find it uphill to tell when the dental condition is an emergency or not. Below are some of the symptoms you could use to know if your situation is a dental emergency:
- Loose or wriggling teeth
- Pus or white fluid in your mouth
- Extreme tooth or gum sensitivity
- Tooth discoloration
- Swellings on the mouth that cause severe pain making it difficult to open your mouth
- Pain in the gums
- A bad taste that doesn’t leave your mouth
Preparations for the Procedure
Before the procedure starts, the dentist will take an x-ray of the tooth, causing you problems. In the event the tooth requires emergency extraction, the x-ray will guide the dentist on the most efficient procedure for the treatment. The dentist will also discuss your medical history. If you have any allergies, be sure to inform the dentist because some anesthesia might trigger allergies symptoms, which in turn might increase the risk of the procedure. Also, as part of the preparations, the dentist might put you under antibiotics if your immune system is weak or you have an infection. The persons who are likely to be prescribed with antibiotics are those undergoing long term surgeries, children, or the elderly.
Further, notify the dentist of any over the counter medication that you are currently using. Doing so also reduces the risk of the procedure because drugs like aspirin or ginseng slow down blood clotting, which might result in excessive blood loss.
If you would like a sedative during the procedure, you should take time and discuss the available options. You can choose laughing gas, an intravenous tranquilizer, oral sedative, or nitrous oxide. In case you opt for laughing gas, you can drive after the procedure. But for the other sedatives, you must find someone to drive you home.
Emergency Tooth Extraction Procedure
In the case of an emergency tooth extraction procedure, the dentist can opt for two types of extraction depending on the nature of the decay or damage. These are:
Simple Extraction
It is a type of tooth removal that removes a tooth that is visible over the gum line by the use of forceps. The procedure occurs on a decayed or damaged tooth that cannot be repaired. A general dentist can conduct the treatment, but when you are under anesthesia. Sedations or anti-anxiety medications are not mandatory in a simple extraction, but they might be administered in exceptional circumstances. The anesthesia will take a few minutes to take effect, after which your mouth becomes numb.
The next step involves the dentist widening your tooth socket then moving the tooth from side to side using forceps until it is loose enough to pull out. Be ready to feel slight pressure during extraction but no enormous pain. In case you begin to experience a lot of pain, then that isn’t normal, and you should inform the dentist immediately.
Surgery Extraction
The procedure happens during an emergency tooth extraction where the tooth in question is not fully erupted, or it is not visible in the mouth because it is fragmented off over the gum line. Oral surgeons or dentists conduct this procedure, and it usually involves the removal of bones, breaking the tooth into pieces, and removing or folding the gum tissue through surgery. If gum or bone tissue surrounds the tooth that is being pulled out, it becomes challenging to access it. At such a point, an operation will be the best way to remove or fold all or part of the gum tissue to view the tooth. The teeth that are usually extracted through surgery are the wisdom because, at times, they grow on the wrong angle or push other teeth when trying to erupt, which results in dental problems. During the treatment, local anesthesia is administered to the patient. Conscious sedation could also be used in place of or alongside anesthesia.
Advancements in Emergency Dental Extractions
In case of a dental emergency that requires your tooth removal through surgery, you expect the dentist to use drills or scalpels. The use of electrosurgery and dental lasers is becoming popular among many oral surgeons today, so don’t be surprised not to see blades or dental drills in the dental office.
Dental lasers use energy beam lights to cut while electrosurgery uses controlled heat. The modern extraction tools have benefits over conservative tools like drills and scalpels. The benefits of this equipment over the traditional ones include:
- Great meticulousness
- Low risk of damage to the adjacent tooth structures
- Reduced bleeding
- Less discomfort
- Quick healing
The tools have their downfalls too, which include high costs, inability to use them in pulling of the tooth directly, and smell of burning flesh during the procedure. Dentists who undergo continuing education courses on emergency tooth extraction are the best because they are up to date with the new tools.
Emergency Tooth Extractions After Care
Whatever the reason for pulling off your teeth, bleeding is common. The dentist will request you to put pressure on the opening by biting a gauze for about three-quarters of an hour to allow clotting. You should also expect swelling and discomfort after tooth removal.
You can decrease the swelling and discomfort by placing ice on it. Sleeping with your head face upwards will also help relieve pressure on the jaws, which will reduce discomfort and swelling. A pillow should also raise the head. You are also allowed to buy over the counter pain relievers if you underwent a simple extraction. A surgery extraction involves more pain after the procedure, and in such cases, the dentist himself will administer pain medications.
There are certain things you can fix to care for your teeth after the procedure. These include:
- Not rinsing your mouth for the first twenty-four hours after treatment
- Stick to soft foods and only chew with the teeth not close to the extraction site
- Brush and floss the teeth daily, but avoid the gums and teeth adjacent to the extraction site.
- After the first day, you should slightly rinse the extraction socket using warm salty water and to be precise half a teaspoon of salt in a glass of water after meals and before going to bed for five days.
Things to Avoid After Treatment
On top of following the above pointers, specific habits and foods are discouraged. These are:
- Stay away from anything that might remove the blood clot, hindering healthy recovery.
- For two days after the procedure, avoid smoking, vigorous rinsing or spitting, drinking through a straw, or taking part in strenuous events.
- Keep off carbonated drinks, alcohol, crunchy foods, or hot liquids for two to three days after tooth removal.
- Don’t brush or rinse your teeth using over the counter mouth rinse
Possible Complications after an Emergency Tooth Extraction
Tooth extraction during a dental emergency is not always safe. The procedure has certain risks which include:
- Unintentional damage of adjacent teeth
- Incomplete tooth removal where a tooth root remains attached to the jawbone. Dentists prefer tooth root removal to reduce the chances of infection, but leaving a small portion of the root is much safer.
- Fractured jaw due to pressure put on the bone during tooth removal
- Infections on the extraction sockets. Although they are not common, they occur, and antibiotics are enough to take care of the problem.
- Where there is the use of surgical drills in the procedure, chances of nerve injury or damage near the extraction site are possible, especially during wisdom teeth extraction. Cases of nerve injury are also rare and take a short time to heal.
- If you are using bisphosphonates to treat a condition like bone cancer, you should stay away from tooth extraction because the drug attacks the jaw bone, making it rot. Even if you have an emergency and you are on bisphosphonates, avoid an extraction by all means.
- If the extraction socket is left open for a long time, the teeth adjacent to the cavity will shift towards the opening moving away from its socket, which causes sensitivity. If many teeth are extracted without replacement, after some years, the jawbone will begin to weaken and thin apart because of lack of stimulation.
- If a dental emergency requires the extraction of the front teeth, you will lose confidence, especially when smiling, because everyone can see you have a missing tooth.
After an emergency tooth extraction that doesn’t involve wisdom teeth or the 3rd molars, a dentist will suggest replacing the tooth immediately to avoid long term effects of missing teeth. Failure to replace the missing teeth will result in teeth shifting, jaw bone loss, or gum recession. You can choose dentures or bridges to replace the extracted tooth.
Dry Socket
After an emergency tooth extraction, blood might fail to clot or the blood clot that forms dislodges. The problem is called a dry socket. Failure for blood clotting to occur or displacement of the blood lump might expose the bones and nerves near the extraction socket to air and food. You are likely to experience the signs of dry socket between two to five days after the extraction. Some of the indications of dry socket include lousy odor or taste in the mouth.
The complication is familiar with the extraction of wisdom teeth or where the fracture of cracked teeth extends under the gum line. Women under contraceptives, people aged 30 years or above, smokers, and persons with poor oral hygiene are at high risk of developing dry sockets. When a woman using contraceptives gets a dental emergency requiring tooth extraction, the dentist might have no other choice but to extract the teeth. And if the extraction is not an emergency, tooth extraction should occur during the last week of their menstrual cycle.
Dry sockets are treatable. If you experience any of its signs, go back to the dentist so that he or she can dress the problem to allow recovery. The gauze should be changed every twenty-four hours for 5 to 7 days.
Recovery Time After an Emergency Tooth Extraction
The healing time often depends on the type of extraction done. A surgical extraction will take longer to heal than a simple extraction. Recovery will take five days to one week, but gums will heal after 3 to 4 weeks. If the damage was done on the jaw bone, healing could go up to half a year.
Insurance Coverage
Insurance companies cover emergency tooth extraction because it is medically necessary. However, you should understand that they might provide coverage for the treatment but fail to cover specific sedations fully. Doing so might increase the cost of treatment, which is why you need to speak to your dentist and find out the available sedation options that your insurers cover. With the type of sedation they fully include in mind, you will make a decision that you won’t regret in the future.
It’s also advisable to request a cost estimate and find out if the insurer is ready to cover the sum. Where your insurer doesn’t provide health coverage, your dentist can speak to you about other payment options or how you can finance the treatment.
Cost of Emergency Tooth Extraction
In the event of a dental emergency requiring the dentist to pull out your teeth, the price of the procedure depends on the difficulty of extraction. The average cost of extraction is $130 to $400. The cost of a simple extraction is $100 to $250, while that of a surgical extraction is $180 to $400. The treatment becomes affordable because insurance companies can cover up to 80% of the treatment cost, leaving you with only 20% to pay out of pocket.
Find an Emergency Dentist Near Me
If you experience any signs of a dental emergency, you should reach out to The Hawthorne Dentist at 310-775-2557 to schedule a zero-obligation consultation. Our dentists will assess your situation immediately and conduct an emergency tooth extraction if there is no other way of saving the tooth or teeth.
