Tooth Extraction | Seattle Dentist | Pacific Modern Dentistry

Tooth Extraction
Seattle, WA
X-ray of the impacted tooth for extraction by Seattle dentist at Pacific Modern Dentistry.

Although your permanent teeth are meant to last you a lifetime, in some cases, it is better to have them removed. At Pacific Modern Dentistry, tooth extraction is performed by Dr. Jae Seon Kim and is a pretty quick outpatient surgery, which involves the use of local anesthesia, sedation or a combination of these.

When Is It Necessary to Get Your Tooth Extracted?

Your tooth may be extracted for any number of reasons:

•	Your teeth is decayed or damaged and cannot be saved.
•	You have a crowded mouth and you need to get your teeth pulled to get braces.
•	Bacteria has entered deep into the dental pulp and causes an infection.
•	If you have an autoimmune disease like HIV, are receiving chemotherapy or undergoing an organ transplant, even the risk of infection is enough to have your teeth pulled.
•	If your child’s primary teeth fail to fall off and are blocking permanent teeth from coming in.
•	You have a problematic wisdom tooth.

Types of Tooth Extraction

There are two types of tooth extraction procedures: simple extraction and surgical extraction. The type of tooth extraction depends on the location, shape, and size of your tooth.

Simple Extraction

During a simple extraction, you will typically only be given a local anesthesia to numb the surrounding area of your tooth. We will then use a tool known as an elevator to loosen your tooth and then pull it out with the help of dental forceps.

During a simple extraction, you will feel pressure from having your tooth pulled, but no pain.
After the procedure, it will take a couple of hours for the anesthesia to wear off. You may feel a slight soreness at this point, though this can be managed with OTC painkillers and will disappear in a couple of days.

Surgical Extraction

A surgical extraction is usually performed on impacted wisdom teeth or damaged teeth that do not have a lot of structure left. During a surgical extraction, we may administer a sedation option as well as local anesthesia to calm your anxiety. We will make a small incision in your gums to expose the underlying bone. We may remove some bone supporting the tissue and split your tooth into two or more parts so that it can be easily extracted. Once it is removed, we will suture the wound closed.

Since surgical extraction is more complex than simple extraction, it will take longer for you to heal. There may be some pain once the anesthesia wears off, though it can easily be managed with painkillers. It may take a week for the pain to disappear completely and a few weeks for the wound to close entirely.

Tooth Extraction After Care

It typically takes a few days for a person to recover from a tooth extraction. To avoid any complications and make yourself more comfortable, here are a few things you should do:

•	Apply an ice pack to your cheek to bring down the swelling.
•	After we place a dressing on the extraction area, bite down on the gauze gently to reduce the bleeding and clot formation. Do this for three to four hours.
•	Take the recommended painkillers prescribed by us.
•	Do not sip from a straw and try not to cough as it can dislodge the clot from the wound, which can lead to a painful condition called dry socket.
•	Do not smoke as it interferes with the healing process.
•	Do not rinse your mouth for 24 hours after extraction.
•	Prop your head up with pillows when sleeping.
•	Make a solution of salt and water and use it to rinse out your mouth.
•	While brushing and flossing your teeth, avoid the affected area.
•	While you are recovering, eat soft or liquid foods like warm soup, applesauce, porridge, smoothies, smashed bananas, etc.
•	Chew from the other side of the mouth until the wound is completely healed.

Tooth extraction is an extremely common and simple procedure and most people recover from it without issues. However, if you are experiencing pain, increased inflammation and bleeding, pus drainage from the surgical site, and fever, this may be a sign of a complication or infection. In this case, make an urgent appointment with us by calling us at (206)284-4505 so that we can determine the cause of the discomfort and treat it immediately.

Office Hours
Monday: 7:00 AM–4:00 PM
Tuesday: 7:00 AM–4:00 PM
Wednesday: 7:00 AM–4:00 PM
Thursday: 7:00 AM–2:30 PM

Location
2046 Westlake Ave. N. Suite 204
Seattle, WA 98109-2700

Contact
Office: (206)284-4505
Fax: (206) 284-4757

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Tooth Extraction | Seattle Dentist | Pacific Modern Dentistry
When faced with tooth damage, the ideal solution is to restore the affected tooth. When this is not possible the best solution is often to extract the affected tooth.
Pacific Modern Dentistry, 2046 Westlake Ave. N., Suite 204 Seattle, WA 98109 ^ (206)284-4505 ^ pacificmoderndentistry.com ^ 9/15/2023 ^ Related Terms: dental implants Seattle WA ^