Tooth Extractions in Germantown, MD

Rosewood Dental provides tooth extraction services in Germantown, MD. Call 301-515-2466 to learn more and schedule your appointment.

The primary goal of dentistry is to preserve your teeth whenever possible. Sometimes, though, a tooth has sustained too much damage or decay to save with restorative dental treatments. In such cases, extraction is needed to prevent infection and restore oral health.

The first step in any tooth extraction is to numb the tooth and surrounding tissue to ensure that you won’t experience any discomfort during the procedure. Next, a dental instrument called an elevator is used to loosen the tooth from your jaw. Forceps are used to gently remove your tooth. If needed, sutures are used to close the socket.

After your tooth extraction, we’ll place a piece of gauze over the socket and ask you to bite down on it; this helps promote the formation of a blood clot. You’ll need a few days of rest afterwards to ensure that the clot forms as it should and then stays in place. 

Once the extraction site has healed, you can get a permanent restoration to replace the missing tooth. A dental bridge or dental implant can replace single teeth, while more than one tooth can be replaced with bridges, implants, or dentures.

You’ll need two to three days of rest before resuming your normal activities. Even if you feel fine, it’s important not to rush through your recovery because too much movement can dislodge your blood clot, causing a dry socket. The extraction site will fully heal in three to four weeks.

A tooth extraction isn’t painful at all—you are numb during the procedure and while you may feel a pulling sensation, you won’t feel pain. After your tooth extraction, you may experience some discomfort, which can be alleviated with over-the-counter pain medication and cold compresses.

It’s not advisable to return to work immediately after a tooth extraction. Take two or three days off of work or school to rest and recover. This lowers the risk of infection, dry socket, and other complications.

You can start eating again after you remove the gauze from your mouth, or about an hour after the procedure. Eat only soft foods for a day after the surgery and avoid hot foods and drinks.

If you have a choice between a root canal or an extraction, opt for the root canal. They are preferable because with a root canal, your natural tooth will be preserved, which is the best outcome for oral health. With an extraction, you’ll need to replace your missing tooth.

As long as you don’t have any signs that your extraction site is not healing properly, you should be in the clear. Signs to watch out for include pain, swelling, and bleeding that worsens with time instead of getting better and odor or discharge from the extraction site. If you’re concerned, call our office.

Call 301-515-2466 to schedule your appointment.