Extracting teeth is simple if the problem is diagnosed on time. Delaying the process of extracting affected teeth, especially impacted wisdom teeth can lead to complications. Understand the process; symptoms and need for extraction to prepare yourself for it when any such situation arrives.

There are a variety of reasons why some of your teeth may need removal or extraction. The basic aim of dentists and hygienists is to ensure that your mouth functions in the healthiest possible manner. So for the sake of the mouth's health, certain faulty teeth may need to be taken out. The reasons which lead to tooth extraction include an abscess, an infection which has established itself deep within the roots and root canal is no longer possible or may not be effective. If you have damaged your teeth in an accident they may need to be removed in order to restore the damage done to the entire biting strength. A prolonging gum disease which has weakened the roots of the tooth, resulting in bone loss and making the tooth loose is another possible reason for extraction.

But the most common reason for tooth extraction is occurrence of impacted third molar or wisdom tooth. Wisdom teeth are the last of the molars to surface and their arrival may not always be timely. If the eruption of wisdom tooth results in overcrowding or it is misaligned or misplaced, it is termed impacted and needs removal to protect the adjacent teeth. Extraction involves cutting of gum tissue and bone, so the procedure is painful that is why anaesthesia is administered to ease off the discomfort.

The type of anaesthesia is chosen based on the medical history of the patient and their preference. While local anaesthesia may be used to numb the area around the tooth, most people prefer to be administered with sleep sedation so that they are blissfully unaware of what is going inside their mouth and when they wake up it is all done. This gives them a feeling that they have saved a lot of time and allows them to stay away from the view of dentist operating inside their mouth, which might make some people really uncomfortable. This procedure is convenient for the dentist too as he is able to perform it without any interruptions and distractions.

Depending upon the kind of extraction and the depth of the procedure, the patient may have to wait from 2 to 3 days before the discomfort recedes, and before the mouth is ready for a restorative procedure. It is normal to experience a little bleeding and swelling after the extraction of wisdom tooth. As is the case with any type of incision in the body, the cut in the mouth will give away small amount of blood which you can spit. But if there is a lot of blood oozing out, you should consult your dentist right away. Your dentist will fix the problem and will give you tips on how to fasten the healing process.

There are not many complications involved in tooth extraction; usually the procedure goes very smoothly. The dentist will conduct a thorough analysis with the help of an x-ray and by studying your medical history to check for any current infection or the possible presence of nerve in the area concerned. Only when the dentist is satisfied that the path is clear and your mouth is fit for extraction will he proceed with the procedure.

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In dentistry, tooth extraction is defined as the surgical removal of the tooth from its socket. This is done by a dental professional with the use of sterile dental equipment. The term "pulling of teeth" is often used to describe a difficult situation. Having your tooth extracted is important to prevent the onset of more serious complications.

There are certain things you have to know before you undergo a dental procedure like tooth extraction. This may seem to be a dreaded experience but there is many ways to make it a pleasant one. It is essential to be equipped with the right knowledge and attitude before un decide to undergo any dental procedure.

1. Your dental condition should be thoroughly assessed by your dentist. It is important to check with your dentist regularly to see if there is any existing problem. With this alone, other related complications will be prevented. All the details about tooth extraction will be discussed to you by your dentist.

2. If you are taking blood thinners like aspirin regularly, it is vital to discuss this with your dentist. You should not take this medicine for few days to prevent bleeding problems before and after the procedure.

3. A good night rest is recommended the night prior to tooth extraction. You have to be physically prepared for the schedule of your dental extraction.

4. Alcoholic beverages should be restricted before and after the dental surgery. Alcohol interferes with the absorption of anesthetic agents. You should stop drinking any alcoholic drinks for few days if you do not want to experience any trouble in tolerating pain during the procedure.

5. There are times when the local anesthesia is not enough, your dentist will use general anesthetic agents or light sedation for you not to endure the pain during the procedure. It is important to have somebody to drive for you. Plans for somebody to accompany and assist the patient should be made.

6. You should wear loose and comfortable clothing. Your comfort is vital for the success of the treatment.

7. After the tooth has been extracted, bite firmly the gauze pack over the surgical area for at least 30 minutes to prevent bleeding.

8. Never spit nor use a straw for drinking since it will promote further bleeding.

9. As soon as the effects of the anesthesia wear off, you can start taking the prescribed pain medications. Make sure to follow all the post operative instructions given by your Staten Island dentist to prevent any complications.

10. Go back to your scheduled appointment with your dentist so that he can evaluate your condition. Your dentist will be more than willing to discuss all the possible alternatives to replace the extracted tooth. Everything is now possible with cosmetic dentistry.

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A tooth extraction is one of the most feared procedures in dentistry. Patients have an assumption that it's a very painful procedure which is built by the horror stories they heard around. The fact is that tooth extraction is a routine procedure for most dentists and a simple extraction procedure should leave you with nothing more than minor discomfort.

Causes of extraction of tooth

You might be wondering why the dentist wants to remove your tooth when there seems to be no apparent problem with the tooth. Dentists are professionals who can identify dental diseases and conditions and decide to remove a tooth only when there is no hope of saving the tooth. If the tooth is not removed, the dental disease can progress and cause further detrimental effects in the affected region.

Various dental diseases and conditions warrant the removal of tooth. Some of them are:

-Tooth decay which has progressed to involve the furcation areas of molar teeth.
-Tooth decay which has destroyed so much portion of the tooth that it is impossible to reconstruct the tooth using dental materials.
-Mobility of the teeth caused due to bone loss around the tooth.
-Deciduous teeth which have been retained and preventing the eruption of permanent teeth.
-Extraction of a healthy tooth to make space as part of orthodontic treatment.
-Teeth which are impacted.
-Mal-positioned teeth which are causing trauma to surrounding structures and can't be treated with orthodontic treatment.

Procedure

A routine tooth removal procedure can take anywhere between 5-30 minutes. The procedure for extraction of a tooth is as follows.

-Administration of local anesthesia which desensitizes the tooth. This is administered in the oral cavity in proximity to the tooth that is to be anesthetized. The desensitized tooth does not pain upon subsequent tooth removal.

-The dentist uses an instrument known as elevator to severe the ligament fibers that attach the tooth to the socket. This is a instrument with a blunt tip.

-After the fibers are severed, an appropriate forceps is selected to engage the tooth to be removed. The tooth is then removed carefully by the forceps. The dentist then makes sure the tooth is removed entirely from the mouth. He checks for any leftover roots that may be remaining inside the bone.

-There are some risks associated with an extraction. A good dentist makes sure the procedure is optimally done without any damage to the adjacent teeth or structures.

Tooth Extraction aftercare

The site of extraction usually heals in a few days. There may be some degree of pain and swelling associated with the extraction of the tooth. It usually subsides by applying cold packs and taking pain killers.

Do not rinse your mouth for the next 24 hours. After this, rinse your mouth with normal saline water. -Take soft foods and avoid hard and hot foods.

-Take your medications as prescribed.
-It will be ideal to take rest and not strain yourself.
-After extraction socket is filled up with a blood clot vigorous spitting or similar activities may dislodge the clot and which may lead to a condition known as by dry socket.

The socket from which the tooth has been extracted heals overtime and fills up with tissue and bone.

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Fluoride and fluoridation of drinking water has been in the news a lot lately. There is a lot of controversy surrounding the whole issue and I guess it’s time for me to put my two cents worth in. I decided to write this article based on a couple of things.

One, I have been doing a lot of research on water quality and water filters for a new book (more on that later) and what I am learning has really opened my eyes. Two, I just read an article in my local paper that the Water Authority that supplies my tap water just raised the level of fluoride in my water and it got me a little riled up.

Isn’t Fluoride Good For You?

So, why all the fuss about fluoride? Isn’t it supposed to be good for our teeth? What’s the big deal? In this article I’ll try to sum up my opinion based on the research I’ve been doing.

Take Your Medicine- Whether You Want It Or Not!

First, I might as well come right out and say it. I thing it is WRONG to put fluoride in drinking water. Whether or not it is as bad for you as some people claim, the fact is that it is the only chemical added to our tap water in order to do something other than make the water safe to drink. And yes, I said chemical. (More on that in a minute.)

Fluoridation basically amounts to forced involuntary medication of entire communities with a substance that is known to be toxic at certain levels. Listen to what one dentist was quoted as saying in my local paper (emphasis is mine): “You’re not getting harmed by it more than the other chemicals and things found in the water.” Am I the only one who thinks that is a pretty strange endorsement?

Smokestack Scrubbers

Which brings me to the “chemical” comment. See, while many supporters of fluoridation will say that fluoride is a natural component of lots of water, the reality is that almost all of the fluoride that is added to tap water is an industrial waste product from the fertilizer industry. The most widely used one is fluorosilic acid or FSA. FSA is recovered from smokestack scrubbers and sold to municipalities across the United Stated to fluoridate their drinking water. So instead of having to pay to dispose of this very toxic chemical waste product, fertilizer companies make a profit by “enhancing” your family’s drinking water with it. I bet they have more lobbyists than you do. Smokestack scrubbers!

If that’s not enough to make you question the practice of fluoridation, consider this. Many studies are now concluding that any benefits that might come from fluoride are from topical use, not ingestion. In fact, this was just one of the reasons the EPA Headquarters Professional’s Union came out with a statement opposing fluoridation as early as 1999. This group is made up of about 1500 scientists, engineers, lawyers and other professionals who work at the EPA headquarters in Washington, DC. By the way, they listed political pressure to raise the fluoride levels as the main reason they issued the statement. Gotta love those lobbyists.

Have We All Been Scammed For Years?

I could go on and on but I’ll try to wind this up soon. One other thing to be aware of is that there is a lot of research now that questions whether fluoridated drinking water has any positive benefit for dental health. Studies comparing dental health in areas with and without fluoridation are frequently showing little or no difference. In fact, most of Europe does not fluoridate their water and their statistics on tooth decay are about the same as the US.

Bottom line- in my opinion there are enough concerns about possible health issues with fluoridation to really tick me off when I read that my local water authority is not only adding a known toxin to my water but has now increased the level. I mean, SMOKESTACK SCRUBBERS for Pete’s sake! Anybody know a good lobbyist?

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When I was nine years old my two front teeth were accidentally broken so I had to have a partial denture made to duplicate my missing teeth and to fill the gap right in the center of my mouth when I smiled. I have worn a denture ever since that happened. In fact, from that time on, I was very much aware of having those two “false teeth” in my mouth, and I thought they were obvious to all of my friends. But, actually, nobody ever commented or said any thing about my missing teeth or my denture, so I don’t know it they noticed them or were just being polite. I do know I was always embarrassed because I had to wear that denture everywhere I went.

A few years ago, all of my upper teeth were so badly decayed that I had to have them pulled out. The result of those extractions is that I now have a full upper denture in my mouth. At the time, I was sure everyone would notice the difference the full denture made in the way I looked when talking and smiling. But, again, no one seemed to notice anything different about my physical appearance.

Even so, the full denture I was wearing did change the way I thought about myself. In short, I felt much older and I was still embarrassed that I now had to wear a full set of artificial teeth in my mouth. Then, instead of brushing my natural teeth in my mouth, I now had to, privately, remove my teeth brush them clean in the sink and in general keep them in good condition. All of that somehow, changed my thinking about myself – it is hard to explain, but there was a very subtle change in me that I was very much aware of because of my new full upper denture.

When asked if wearing a denture is embarrassing, I have to admit that for me it is. I would much rather have all of my natural teeth and not have to face all of the ways I need to change my life because of my dentures. For example: I’ve had to learn how to speak properly with a mouth full of acrylic – plastic – dentures, how to properly chew the many different kinds of food, how to bite an apple, and how to sneeze without having my artificial teeth pop out of my mouth, how to kiss my wife and how to smile broadly and much more.

In short, having dentures in my mouth constantly has always been a life changing experience for me. But, the saving grace is this: The people around me never seem to notice my teeth or the problems I have with accepting them as my new way of living. They just accept me the way I am – and now, very gradually – over time, I have gotten used to wearing dentures. Sometimes I even forget I have them in my mouth!

The truth is, now, after all of these years – I’ve almost gotten used to wearing dentures to the point where I am no longer embarrassed by wearing them.

So, when asked: “Should you be embarrassed about having dentures?” My answer is: “No.” You see, the embarrassment I have in wearing a denture is only in my head – no one else seems to notice or care one way or the other.

Believe me when I say you can forget about having “denture embarrassment” and enjoy looking better in every way than you would without them!

By: Terry L. Weber

http://www.originalsbyweber.com

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