I'm Nervous About My Tooth Extraction: What Can I Expect?

Tooth extractions aren’t a procedure that many welcome, though sometimes having one or more teeth extracted becomes necessary for a variety of reasons. Contemporary dental anesthetics assure that you’ll feel little pain during the procedure. 

However, once the freezing wears off, you’re dealing with a wound in the form of an empty tooth socket, as well as the aches that follow this oral surgery. Knowing what to expect from a tooth extraction can help you prepare for it, as well as get through your recovery. 

At New York Dental Health, we want to make the process easy for you. If you’re nervous about your procedure, don’t worry, you’re not alone, and we understand. In addition to a local anesthetic, we can offer sedation to help you relax through your appointment. 

In this month’s blog, we examine the tooth extraction process and recovering from it. The key to a smooth recovery is avoiding a condition called dry socket. Here’s what you need to know. 

Why are extractions necessary? 

A tooth that’s damaged by traumatic injury or dental decay may need to be pulled. There are also strategic reasons for tooth extractions when teeth are otherwise healthy. 

Wisdom teeth are frequent targets for extraction. There may not be room in your mouth for four additional molars, or the wisdom teeth may be misaligned or unable to erupt normally. 

Similarly, orthodontic treatment may require pulling healthy teeth to provide good spacing of the remaining teeth for a healthy bite. 

What to expect from your extraction appointment

You won’t walk into an appointment and be surprised by an unexpected extraction. We always discuss the need and your options ahead of the extraction session itself. 

Tell us about all medications and supplements you take regularly so we can note any potential interactions. We also discuss sedation options to help manage any dental anxiety. 

At the extraction session, we start by loosening your tooth after the anesthetic takes hold. This may take several steps if a tooth is severely damaged or decayed. 

Once the tooth is out of the socket, we clean and disinfect the opening. Sometimes, bone grafts or stitches may be needed, but these aren’t always used. 

Generally, a single tooth extraction takes between 30 to 60 minutes. Multiple teeth may take longer. 

Avoiding dry socket

Normally, a blood clot forms over the empty tooth socket. However, clots may not form, or they could be dislodged after forming, exposing nerves and bone tissue. Dry socket can be very painful and slow to heal. 

The biggest risk factors for developing dry socket include:

• Smoking
• Wisdom tooth extraction
• Poor oral hygiene
• Aggressive oral hygiene
• Using straws to drink
• Vigorous swishing

We discuss these risks with you beforehand, as well as strategies to avoid the formation of dry socket, which occurs in up to 5% of all tooth extractions.

Your mouth will also likely be sore for a couple of days. Over-the-counter pain relievers should help.

Contact us at New York Dental Health to schedule an extraction consultation and procedure. Call or click to book your visit at the nearest of our seven locations today.