It’s an unfortunate situation to have to extract a tooth. We always try to avoid it at Edgewood Dental Care but there are a few situations where it’s simply a necessary part of our job. Our mission is to keep your smile safe and healthy, which means not endangering a tooth when we can help it – trust us, extraction is always a last resort to safe other teeth.
When you have a tooth extracted you’re probably left wondering what to do about it. Not only does that missing tooth look bad, but there’s a whole host of oral health problems that can come with just a single knocked out tooth. We don’t want you to be confused about your best options, so read on to find out what you should do after an extraction!

The Risks Of Inaction
When you lose a tooth for any reason you start going through a surprisingly quick series of changes that start with the bone that used to support the missing tooth. Since your body doesn’t have a use for it anymore it starts to reabsorb it, which also means the neighboring teeth lose some support.

With less bone present to support those neighboring teeth they start to loosen, and eventually they’ll start to shift out of place to close the gap left behind by your extracted tooth. This doesn’t just harm those teeth either: it changes your bite, so the teeth on the opposite arch will start moving as well. Other teeth start moving to continue changing your bite, and the process just goes on and on.
Eventually those shifted teeth will become so loose that they too will be at risk for loss. Once they fall out the whole process starts again, leading to a domino effect of lost teeth. Before you know it you’ll be left without a single tooth to your name!

Your Mouth Saving Options
Thankfully you don’t have to resign yourself to the destruction of your smile after an extraction. We have multiple ways to restore and protect your smile after the loss of a tooth, from restoring the missing one to keeping the other ones healthy.

Dental Bridges
The easiest and most traditional way to restore a lost tooth is with a bridge, which consists of two crowns connected to a false middle tooth. Dental Bridges require the reshaping of the teeth adjacent to your extracted tooth so that the crowns will fit securely on top, giving the bridge tooth a secure, permanent place between them.

Bridges are a great way to restore missing teeth and are made to look as lifelike as possible. They don’t stop bone loss associated with a missing tooth, but you won’t need to be as worried about shifting teeth: the bridge holds those neighboring teeth securely in place!

The Premier Option: Dental Implants
If you want a truly state-of-the-art replacement tooth then dental implants are the choice for you. Using a root-sized titanium screw we’ll replace your lost tooth with an incredibly realistic, permanent, and fully functional restoration. Implants are designed to perfectly mimic natural teeth in both look and function.

Our dental implants are restored with state-of-the-art crowns in order to give you a look that perfectly matches your other teeth. After implant placement we attach the crown, leaving you with a new tooth which feels just like the real thing! Implants also prevent bone loss because they’re placed directly in your jaw. The bone binds to them and creates a stable, long-lasting connection that will be there for life.

Regular Visits: A Key To Success
If you’ve lost a tooth there’s a good chance it was due to excess decay or gum disease. Both of those common dental ailments are a result of plaque bacteria, which we can keep in check with regular cleanings and exams. Seeing us every six months is the perfect window to identify, treat, and reverse the damage that could cause the eventual loss of teeth. If you’ve been away from the dentist for some time don’t worry about judgement, shaming, or embarrassment. We just want to see you soon so we can keep your mouth in tip-top shape!

Don’t Let An Extraction Catch Up To You
If you’ve had a tooth extracted it’s never too early to think about what you’re going to do to restore your smile. schedule an appointment at Edgewood Dental Care by calling us at 859-474-7830 or request an appointment by filling out our online form. We look forward to seeing you soon!