If you think that you need a tooth extraction in Flower Mound, TX, the team at Titensor Dental is here to help. Led by Dr. Brett Titensor and Dr. Jackson Mann, we offer gentle tooth extractions to get you out of pain, and to get your oral health back on track. We even offer sedation to help you stay more comfortable throughout the extraction process.
But what about after your visit? What can you expect from the aftercare and recovery process, and what tips can you follow to ensure a complication-free recovery? In this guide, we’ll go over everything you need to know, starting with the basics of how tooth extractions work and why they're needed. Let’s get into it.
Understanding Tooth Extraction – Your Guide To The Basics
Tooth extractions are often the best way to treat damaged and unhealthy teeth that can’t be restored or preserved with other dental techniques. Tooth extractions are often recommended for:
- Unhealthy or impacted wisdom teeth
- Teeth damaged by extensive decay or infection
- Loose teeth due to gum (periodontal) disease
- Severely cracked or broken teeth due to dental trauma
- Preparing for certain dental procedures like dental implants or dentures
- To make space for certain orthodontic treatments like braces
There are two different types of tooth extractions, too. Here’s what you need to know:
- Simple extraction – In a simple extraction, Dr. Brett or Dr. Jackson numb your mouth. Then, they will use some special dental tools to loosen the tooth in its socket until it can be pulled out with a pair of dental forceps.
- Surgical extraction – Surgical extractions are required for teeth that are impacted (not fully erupted from the gums) or severely damaged. In this procedure, your dentist will create an opening in the gums near the damaged tooth. Then, they will access the tooth through this opening, cutting it into pieces and removing it. This process is called “sectioning.”
At Titensor Dental, we know that getting a tooth extraction can be intimidating. So along with local numbing, we offer a variety of sedation options for our patients, including laughing gas, oral conscious sedation, and even IV sedation. With dental sedation for tooth extractions, you can rest and relax throughout your entire procedure.
You may even fall asleep, and might not remember what happened during your visit to our office! If you’re interested, ask our team about your sedation options during your next visit to Titensor Dental.
Immediate Post-Extraction Care Steps To Take
After your surgery at Titensor Dental, Dr. Brett or Dr. Jackson will give you a full set of tooth extraction instructions to follow as you heal. Here are a few of the steps you’ll need to take right after your surgery at our office in Flower Mound.
- Replace gauze pack (if needed) – There will be a gauze pack in place to absorb blood from your extraction site. If this becomes fully soaked with blood, you will switch to a new one, provided by your dentist at Titensor Dental. Bleeding should slow significantly within an hour or two of your extraction.
- Take any prescribed or recommended medication – When managing pain after extraction, you can take over-the-counter painkillers like ibuprofen, or any pain medication prescribed by your dentist at Titensor Dental.
- Use ice packs to help with discomfort – Applying an ice pack on the cheek near the extraction site at 20-minute intervals is a great way to reduce swelling, pain, and inflammation. Make sure to take breaks between icing your cheek to avoid damaging your tissue, though!
- Take things easy for the rest of the day – If possible, we recommend taking the rest of the day off from work or school. You should also avoid any heavy exertion or physical activity for at least 24-72 hours after your extraction. This helps speed up the healing and recovery process.
- Get plenty of nutrients by eating soft foods – Your diet after a tooth extraction should consist solely of very soft or liquid foods for at least a day or two. Milkshakes, yogurt, smoothies, broth-based (non-chunky) soups, and applesauce are all great options.
The Tooth Extraction Recovery Timeline – What To Expect
24-48 Hours After Surgery
You may notice occasional bleeding or spotting during this time. This is totally normal and is nothing to worry about. You will also likely feel swelling and discomfort during this time. Avoid heavy exertion, eat soft foods, and follow Dr. Brett or Dr. Jackson’s recovery instructions to manage pain and discomfort as you recover. You should continue to eat very soft and liquid foods to avoid irritating the extraction site.
Do not use a straw or spit forcefully within 48-72 hours of your extraction, and don’t smoke or vape, either. The suction action can dislodge your blood clot, potentially causing a condition called “dry socket” and interfering with the healing process.
When it comes to oral hygiene after extraction, it’s recommended to avoid brushing your teeth for at least 24 hours. You can use prescription mouthwash or a salt water rinse to gently clean your teeth and the extraction site, but avoid spitting forcefully since this can dislodge your blood clot. After 24 hours, you can brush your other teeth, but do not brush the extraction site.
3-7 Days After Surgery
By this time, your pain and other symptoms should have peaked and begun to fade. Your mouth should no longer be bleeding, and you can get back to exercising and other physical activities as long as they are not causing you any discomfort.
After three days, you can start brushing your teeth normally, but you should continue to avoid the extraction site for at least a week. If you’re a smoker, you can technically start smoking again after three days, but you should avoid it for at least two weeks for the best results, and you should consider quitting completely if you want to keep your mouth healthy in the future.
During this time, you can also start adding firmer foods into your diet as long as they're comfortable to chew. Foods like scrambled eggs, oatmeal, soft bread, mac and cheese, and hummus are great options.
1-2 Weeks After Surgery
Your mouth should feel much better after a week or so, and you should be noticing nearly no discomfort two weeks after your surgery. After a week, you can start brushing your extraction site very gently with a soft bristled toothbrush.
As your mouth heals, you can add even more foods back into your diet. As long as you feel comfortable chewing them, you can eat pretty much whatever you want, though we still recommend avoiding super tough, hard, sharp, crunchy, and spicy foods. These can irritate your extraction site and cause pain even after it’s mostly healed.
2+ Weeks After Surgery
After 2-3 weeks, your extraction site should be completely healed. You can get back to your normal oral hygiene routine and lifestyle with no limitations. You can also eat whatever you want as long as your diet is not causing any discomfort. Congratulations! You’ve recovered completely from your tooth extraction.
Keeping An Eye Out For Tooth Extraction Complications
Complications from tooth extractions are very rare, and the vast majority of procedures are completely successful. If you follow your recovery instructions from Dr. Brett or Dr. Jackson, you can reduce your risk of complications and ensure a speedy recovery. But if you’re curious, here are a few of the complications that can sometimes happen after a tooth extraction.
- Dry socket – Dry socket happens when you dislodge or damage the blood clot that forms in your now-empty socket. This blood clot serves as the “scaffolding” around which the new gum and bone tissue grows. Common dry socket symptoms include severe pain, sensitivity to cold and air, and a tooth extraction site that looks empty, potentially with exposed bone.
- Bacterial infection – An infection can happen if bacteria get into your socket while it heals. This is often confused with dry socket, but it is a different condition. If the extraction site is infected, you may notice severe pain, swelling, and discoloration near the extraction site, bad breath (halitosis), or a nasty taste in your mouth.
- Nerve damage – If your tooth is really close to a nearby nerve in your mouth, such as the inferior alveolar nerve, the nerve can sometimes be damaged by the extraction process. Symptoms can include feelings of tingling, numbness, or pain near the affected area. Medications are sometimes needed to help with the effects, and this issue typically resolves itself within several weeks or months.
- Sinus perforation – In some cases, extracting an upper tooth can result in damage to the sinus lining, known as a sinus perforation. You may notice symptoms like nasal congestion, nasal discharge, your nose whistling while breathing, or a feeling of air rushing over the extraction site when you breathe. These usually heal on their own, though antibiotics may be recommended to help prevent infection as the sinus lining heals.
Tips For Long-Term Care & Avoiding Future Extractions
Preserving your natural teeth is always our goal at Titensor Dental. So while we’re happy to extract unhealthy teeth when needed, we always want to help our patients keep their teeth healthy and avoid the need for future extractions. Here are a few tips that can help you keep your teeth and gums healthy!
Get gum disease under control
Gum (periodontal) disease is the most common cause of premature tooth loss. If you have gum disease, you need to get help from Dr. Brett or Dr. Jackson to get it under control, and to prevent further damage to your gums, teeth, and jawbone. We offer a variety of advanced periodontal treatments to help you take control of your oral health in Flower Mound, TX.
Maintain oral hygiene and a healthy lifestyle
A proper at-home brushing and flossing routine helps prevent cavities, tooth infections, gum disease, and more. Brush your teeth at least twice a day with fluoride toothpaste, and make sure you clean them thoroughly. Floss once per day, and consider adding alcohol-free mouthwash into your routine to help kill bacteria, too.
You should also eat a “tooth-healthy” diet that’s low in sugar, starch, and processed foods, especially sugary and acidic drinks. Avoiding certain habits like smoking, vaping, and other types of nicotine and tobacco use can also help you keep your oral health on track.
Visit our team for three to six month cleanings
Three to Six-month cleanings and oral exams allow our team to catch potential issues with your smile early. For example, Dr. Brett or Dr. Jackson may notice a cavity. If they catch it early enough, your dentist may be able to repair the cavity with a filling before the decay gets worse and turns into a severe tooth infection, which may require either a root canal or extraction.
Frequently Asked Questions About Tooth Extractions
- What should I expect during tooth extraction recovery? You can usually get back to your normal daily routine within 1-2 days. However, you will experience some pain and discomfort as your mouth heals. Most patients fully recover within 2-3 weeks.
- What are the signs of dry socket or infection? You may notice pain that doesn't go away or gets worse after a few days post-extraction. Other potential symptoms include bad breath (halitosis), a foul taste in your mouth, and severe swelling and/or inflammation near the extraction site.
- How long does the recovery process typically take? The tooth extraction healing process typically takes about 2-4 weeks. At this time, your extraction site will be completely healed and covered with gum tissue. It will take several more months for the underlying bone to heal completely, but your mouth should feel 100% normal within four weeks.
Visit Titensor Dental For Gentle Tooth Extractions
If you think that you have an unhealthy tooth that requires extraction in Flower Mound, TX, Dr. Brett Titensor and Dr. Jackson Mann are here to help. We’re focused on patient-first, conservative care. Our dentists will always do their best to save your tooth, and will only recommend extraction if it’s truly necessary.
If you do need a wisdom tooth extraction or require an extraction for any other reason, we use the latest treatment planning technology, techniques, and sedation methods to keep you feeling comfortable and ensure the best possible outcome. Give us a call at (972) 355-9545 or contact Titensor Dental online to book your first visit and get the help you need with your painful or unhealthy tooth.