You might hesitate to get a tooth extraction if you’ve never had one before. When you know little to nothing about it, the treatment can sound rather scary. It can even prompt a fear-filled question: What does a tooth extraction feel like? With that said, you needn’t worry; your Gainesville dentist can address this latter concern. Continue reading to learn how tooth extractions work, what they feel like, and how to ease any aches they may cause afterward.
How Does a Tooth Extraction Work?
You must grasp how tooth extractions work before you can learn what they feel like. If you don’t know the basics about them, why they cause certain sensations won’t make sense to you.
The typical tooth extraction involves four key steps:
- Tooth Exposure: Before they remove your tooth, a dentist will ensure they can see it. That means examining its crown when the extraction is simple. For a surgical extraction, getting this sight requires a gum incision.
- Gentle Grasping: Your dentist will extract the tooth using dental forceps and elevators once it has been revealed. Depending on your case, they may also remove bone fragments or spurts.
- Closure of the Space: After the tooth’s removal, your dentist will clean and stitch the treatment site. This step keeps your gums from getting infected.
- Bleeding Control: The dentist will conclude treatment by placing gauze over the extraction site. By biting this material, you can control post-treatment bleeding.
What Does It Usually Feel Like?
A tooth extraction usually feels smooth and pain-free, despite being an invasive procedure. Dentists take measures to ensure the removal doesn’t hurt.
You see, a dentist will numb your mouth with anesthesia before they perform an extraction. Doing so keeps your teeth, gums, and other mouth tissues from aching during the removal. At most, the only thing you’ll feel is the “bite” of the needle from the anesthetic injection. The rest of your actual treatment won’t involve any pain.
Ways to Ease Post-Extraction Aches
Of course, your mouth may feel sore after your extraction; the anesthesia will eventually wear off. You’ll thus want to ease any post-treatment aches by doing the following:
- In the first few days after treatment, eat only soft foods, such as soup and yogurt. You can switch back to solid meals once the extraction site has healed.
- Take prescribed or store-bought pain medication as needed.
- Avoid the extraction site when brushing or flossing for a few days.
- For up to a week after extraction, rinse your mouth with warm salt water once daily.
What a tooth extraction feels like isn’t something to fear. That being the case, consult your dentist about treatment soon!
About the Practice
Exceptional Dentistry & Sedation Center is based in Gainesville, FL. Led by four excellent dentists, our practice takes pride in its state-of-the-art dental care. We offer preventive, cosmetic, and even restorative smile treatments, as well as several sedation options. Our team can also perform emergency procedures like tooth extractions and root canals. For more details or to book a visit, please contact us on our website or by phone at (352)-332-6725.
