Tooth Extractions
Innovation Dental's mission is to preserve your natural teeth whenever possible. We take seriously the impacts of removing even one tooth and understand how it can lead to problems related to your chewing ability, your jaw joint, and potentially shifting teeth, all of which can be a detriment to your overall health. 
But in some circumstances, you may have a tooth that we have no choice but to remove for any number of reasons.
- Severe decay
- Advanced periodontal disease
- Tooth broken off at the gumline
- Poorly positioned, crowded, or impacted tooth
- Preparation for other restorations
Our goal with every dental extraction is to ensure you understand the process, including your options for replacing the extracted tooth.
Tooth Extraction Aftercare in O'Fallon, IL
With most extraction procedures, you are left with an empty socket once occupied by your tooth. In that space, a blood clot forms, vital to the healing process. We may recommend that you bite on a gauze pad for up to an hour immediately after the treatment. You may change the gauze several times until the socket ceases to ooze, which means the clot has become substantial enough to stop any bleeding.
Your main goal is not to disturb or dislodge the clot. Therefore, you will need to avoid rinsing your mouth too vigorously, drinking through a straw, smoking, or brushing near the socket for 72 hours. We also recommend you limit vigorous exercise for the next 24 hours to avoid increasing blood pressure and stressing your clot.
After your appointment, you may experience some soreness and swelling near your empty socket. You can use an ice pack or cold compress to minimize inflammation. We may suggest certain over-the-counter pain medications to help with your discomfort for several days. Please call our office if the medication doesn't seem to be working. Drink lots of fluids and eat softer foods on the extraction day.
We also want you to resume your regular dental routine after a day or two, brushing and flossing your teeth at least once daily. Then, after a few days, you should feel fine and can resume your normal activities.
Contact Us for More Information about Dental Extractions
The Innovation Dental Group team will always prioritize saving a tooth over removing it, so you can rest assured that entrusting us to care for a damaged tooth will result in the best possible outcome. However, if you have a tooth on the cusp of extraction, we encourage you to call our O'Fallon, IL, dental office to learn more.
