Teeth Extractions in ABQ

The goal of dentistry is to preserve your natural teeth whenever possible. There are some situations in which a tooth cannot be restored; in such cases, tooth extractions are needed in order to prevent infection from spreading and maintain oral health.

Most tooth extractions are simple procedures that can be performed right in our office with only local anesthesia. Your tooth and the tissue surrounding it will be numbed, so you won’t feel any pain while we work. A special tool is used to gently loosen your tooth from the jaw, then it is carefully removed. In some cases, sutures are needed to close the gum tissue; other times, we’ll simply ask you to bite down on gauze to apply pressure until the bleeding stops.

Once your gums and jaw have healed from your extraction, we can discuss options for replacing your tooth. These include dental implants, which replace your tooth both above and below the gum line, and dental bridges, which only restore the visible portion of your extracted tooth.

A tooth extraction isn’t painful at all. You’ll feel movement and pressure, but you won’t experience any pain during the procedure. As the local anesthesia wears off later in the day, you’re likely to feel some discomfort, but this can be alleviated with over-the-counter pain medication and cold compresses.

Usually after three days, any pain you’re experiencing has subsided.

For 24 hours after your tooth extraction, you should eat a diet of soft foods and liquids. After 24 hours, you can start introducing some easy-to-chew foods, but listen to your body—if it hurts to eat something, don’t eat it.

We will give you detailed aftercare instructions before you leave our office, but generally speaking, you should not smoke, use straws, drink hot beverages, or eat foods that are spicy or hard. Avoid strenuous exercise—it’s important to get rest after your extraction to promote healing and clot formation in the tooth socket.

Most people take two or three days off of work after a tooth extraction to allow themselves ample recovery time. It’s very unlikely that you’ll feel up to returning to work or school the same day as your extraction.

In most cases, antibiotics are not needed after a tooth extraction, but if we feel you are at a higher risk of infection, we may prescribe a course of antibiotics for you to take after your procedure.

Call 505-292-1051 to schedule your appointment.