Services > Extraction
Tooth Extractions in North Andover
Dr. Lee believes in conservative dentistry, and she will take every measure to try to save your tooth. However, in the unfortunate event where the tooth just cannot be saved or has a very poor prognosis, extraction may be indicated followed by bone graft to preserve bone, which can be used as the extraction site for bridges, dentures or implants in the future. At Magnolia Dentistry, we take time to talk to our patients about their visit as well as any anxiety they may have. We provide local anesthetics for extraction and make sure that the only thing you will feel throughout the procedure is slight pressure. Dr. Lee and our team at Magnolia Dentistry want to make sure that your visit as well as post extraction is as comfortable as possible. If you have any questions before your visit, please feel free to talk to Dr. Lee first at (978)965-4315.
How long does it take to recover from a tooth extraction?
After extraction, we will ask you to adhere to cool, soft diet to help with healing for a few days. By the end of the first week after extraction, you should be able to eat more variety of food and return to your normal diet. Click here for our extraction post-op.
Is tooth extraction painful?
Dr. Lee always makes sure that you are comfortably numb prior to starting with extraction. The only thing you will feel during tooth extraction should be pressure but no pain.
What are the signs of a dry socket? Does the dry socket go away on its own?
Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) occurs when a blood clot inside the socket dislodges prematurely before the extraction site heals and the underlying bone is exposed. The symptoms of dry socket appears about 3-4 days after extraction. One of the symptoms is uncontrollable pain that keeps you up at night, which doesn’t seem to be relieved by over the counter pain medication. Unfortunately, the dry socket cannot go away on its own. Instead, we need to clean the socket and stimulate new bleeding in order for the site to heal normally. Once cleaned, dry socket medication will be placed for pain relief. It is very important to follow the post-op instructions not to rinse too much, use straw or smoke to prevent dislodging of the blood clot.