EXTRACTIONS/BONE GRAFT
What are my surgical options?
When your dentist refers you for an extraction it is often because the tooth is decaying or broken beyond repair.
Removing the diseased tooth can help prevent pain or future damage to surrounding teeth.
Pre-Operative Instructions for Extractions
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If you have any questions regarding your surgery after reading the following instructions and consent forms, please do not hesitate to contact Dental Hearts.
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At your surgery appointment, we will be reviewing the “Medical History Form” you submitted. Ensure you are familiar with that information, including the name of any prescriptions, dosages you are utilizing, and why it has been prescribed.
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Ensure you arrive for your appointment on time.
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Planning for your surgery will make your day go much smoother. Purchasing ice packs and soft foods before the surgery will allow you to rest and recover sooner. Soft foods include items like yogurt, pudding, tomato soup, eggs, and mashed potatoes.
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Smoking in the weeks prior to surgery greatly increases your chances of complications. If you smoke it is best to refrain or limit as much as possible for at least 1 week prior to surgery.
The Surgical Procedure
To make your surgery day go smoothly please ensure you read all pre-surgical information provided by Dental Hearts. Your surgery day will consist of your doctor reviewing your medical history, expectations, and post-operative instructions. Patients are usually in the office for around 90 minutes. At the time of extraction, the doctor will need to numb your tooth, jawbone, and gums that surround the area with an anesthetic. During the extraction process, you will feel pressure but shouldn’t experience discomfort. The pressure is from the process of firmly rocking the tooth in order to widen the socket for removal. For teeth that are severely broken down, a small amount of bone may need to be removed around the tooth. This may be followed by the placement of a future in the area of the extraction.
Post-Operative Instructions for Implant Surgery
Please ensure you take the time to review the post-operative instructions provided by Dental Hearts. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact the office.
Know Risks and Complications Associated with the Surgery
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Common risks associated with any surgical procedure include swelling, bruising, pain, and bleeding. In addition to the above risks, the following are uncommon but possible risks associated with dental extractions:
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Infection: Any infection should be taken seriously and reported to your surgeon, who will appropriately treat the problem. Signs of infection include fever, abnormal swelling and pain, salty or prolonged bad taste, and pus formation.
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Damage to adjacent teeth: Damage to other teeth close to the ones being removed. Often this damage occurs on teeth that have large fillings.
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Nerve Damage: Numbness, pain, or changed feelings in the teeth, gums, lip, chin, and/or tongue (including possible loss of taste). This is due to the closeness of tooth roots (mainly with wisdom teeth) to the nerves which can be injured or damaged. Usually, the numbness or pain goes away, but in some cases, it may need more treatment or may be permanent.
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Joint Pain: Jaw joint (TMJ) soreness, tenderness, pain, or locking, which can be temporary or permanent.
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Root Fragments: Sometimes tooth roots may be left in to avoid harming important structures such as nerves or a sinus (a hollow place above your upper back teeth). This rarely presents long-term problems.
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Sinus Complications: The roots of the upper back teeth are often close to the sinus and sometimes a piece of root can get into the sinus. An opening may occur from the sinus into the mouth that may need more treatment.
Bone Grafting
Bone grafting is a recommended option if you plan to replace an extracted tooth with an implant. After a dental extraction, the bone naturally begins to resorb (melt away). The resulting bone loss can limit your choices for replacing the missing tooth. Grafting at the time of extraction has the highest success with regards to preserving the bone. Grafting can also be completed after extraction, although it often is more difficult to achieve the desired results. After placement of a graft, we allow 3-6 months of healing. During this time, the grafted bone fuses with your existing bone to create an optimal foundation for an implant. Grafting is performed with either your own bone, a sterilized bone from another person/animal, or bone substitutes.