Dr. Sameer's Dental Clinic & Implant Centre

A healthy set of teeth is essential for good living. However teeth problems are widespread and you are susceptible to it at any age, at any time. Though there are medications available for tooth problems, sometimes extraction of the tooth remains the only plausible solution. 

You may have to undergo tooth extraction for multiple reasons. Some of them are:

1. Unaligned teeth
In case you are suffering from unaligned teeth, chances are that you may suffer from what in technical terms is known as "crowded mouth." In such a situation you have difficulty in eating as there is not enough room for the teeth in the mouth. Extraction of tooth, in this case, remains the only way to rectify it and align the teeth in a better fashion.

2. Infection
Sometimes if you suffer from a tooth infection, it tends to quickly spread to the pulp, affecting and damaging the blood vessels and different nerves. Though medications are available, if the intensity of the infection increases, extraction of tooth remains the only option.

Procedure

There are different steps that are involved in the extraction of teeth. They are:

1. Local anesthesia
Like all other surgeries, administering a local anesthesia is the first step. If you are undergoing a tooth extraction, the dentist or the surgeon will inject an anesthesia that will create numbness and soothe you of the ensuing pain.

2. Cutting away gum and bone tissues
After the anesthesia, the dentist will proceed to extract the infected tooth. In order to this, the doctor cuts away the gum and the tissues covering the tooth. After the root of the infected tooth has been exposed, the dentist would then with the help of forceps, sever it from the jaw.

After the surgery, you must observe certain precautions to expedite the recovery process. Some of them are:

1. Take painkillers
After the tooth extraction, the possibility of suffering from an ensuing pain is incredibly high. Therefore, in most cases the dentist prescribes certain painkillers and you must take them regularly.

2. Change the dressing
The operated area will be covered with bandages to preclude any infection. However, the dressing must be changed from time to time. If the same dressing remains for a long time, chances of an infection increase.

3. Complete rest
After the extraction, you must take complete rest and not engage in any form of physical activity.

4. Avoid certain foods
Just after the surgery, the operated area remains tender. Therefore, you must eat food that requires less effort to chew like soup, pudding, ice cream etc. You must also abstain from smoking and drinking for some time.

Odontalgia or severe toothache is characterized by extreme pain or inflammation of the tooth and its surrounding areas. The excruciating pain that you might experience may stem as a result of gum infection, tooth decay, infection of the dental pulp, abscess and due to certain other reasons like extraction or filling of the teeth. Another key reason for extreme toothache is the fact that a number of heart problems such as myocardial infarction and angina tend to affect your dental health negatively.  
While some toothaches might occur sporadically, they might pose a danger against your overall well being in the long run if the condition is left untreated. Homeopathy can serve as the perfect antidote to your toothache problems and its effects are noted to be significantly higher when it comes down to the question of long-term consumption.

Here is a list of homeopathic medications that might prove to be a pain alleviator for your dental complications:

1.HEPAR SULPH AND SILICEA
Root abscess responds positively to both Hepar Sulph and Silicea. For fever accompanied with occasional chills due to severe toothache, Hepar Sulph is considered to be the perfect remedy and tends to significantly decrease the level of swelling and pain. On the other hand, if your face swells and there is an incidence of gum inflammation, Silicea must be used to numb the effects of root abscess.

2.PLANTAGO
Plantago is noted to be the most commonly prescribed medicine for toothaches and for treating sensitivity. The pain extending to the ears from the teeth receives maximum relief due to the effects of Plantago. It might have to be taken internally or applied externally depending on the severity of the toothache and its accompanying conditions.

3.STAPHYSAGRIA
Sensitivity is best taken care of by Staphysagria and resolves the problem of worsening of toothache when any drink or food is consumed. Bleeding gums and excess salivation is also another aspect that is looked after by Staphysagria.

4.ARNICA
Tooth extraction and filling may often lead to the consequence of nerve-wrecking pain in the gums and the affected area. For this, Arnica is prescribed to assuage the nerve pain and must be taken in along with Hypericum, another homeopathy medicine, for best results.

5.MERC SOL
Problems of halitosis and excessive salivation that tend to occur simultaneously with toothaches can be solved by a dosage of Merc Sol. Bleeding gums, looseness of teeth and sensitivity are all taken care of by the same medication.

6.HECLA LAVA
For jaw swells along with toothache, you must always opt for Hecla Lava. The effect is instantaneous and relieves both swelling and pain.

7.CHAMOMILLA
Chamomilla serves as the best remedial homeopathic medicine for easing heat sensitivity that is likely to worsen the existing toothache. Drinks and food, either hot or cold, can then be consumed easily because of the numbing effect of this medicine.
 

Dental bridge versus dental implants:
So basically, you have two options to replace your missing tooth and wondering which one would be better.

Let's talk about dental bridges.
Pros-
1) no surgical procedure.
2) teeth can be replaced within a few days. It usually takes 3-7 working days to get it prepared from lab followed by placement. So it's less time-consuming.
3) usually affordable.
4) no anxiety or psychological trauma to patient.

Fixed prosthetic replacement.

Cons-
1) to replace one missing tooth, two natural and healthy teeth are to be involved. And that's not what most of the dentists prefer because well, nothing compares to natural teeth. There is no point in trimming a healthy tooth.
2) post-treatment sensitivity can be seen in some cases.
3) in future, if one of the teeth supporting the bridge gives up (due to periodontal or any other etiology), the whole bridge would require replacement.
4) it requires the presence of teeth which are strong enough to bear the load. If adjacent teeth are mobile as well, bridge can't be placed.

Now, dental implants,

Pros-
1) there is no involvement of adjacent teeth.
2) fixed and permanent prosthetic solution for missing tooth.
3) no reliability upon adjacent teeth.
4) high tolerance to forces comparatively.
 

Cons-
1) patient has to undergo a surgical procedure.
2) not easily affordable. That's one of the biggest reasons that people refrain from going for this option.

So what should one choose? I rather suggest dental implants. Now the final call should be yours.