Dr. Amarjeet Singh Cheema Cheema

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, is 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 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 do 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.

Periodontitis is a serious gum infection that damages the soft tissue and destroys the bone that supports your teeth. Periodontitis can cause tooth loss or worse, an increased risk of heart attack or stroke and other serious health problems.

Periodontitis is common but largely preventable. Periodontitis is usually the result of poor oral hygiene. Brushing at least twice a day, flossing daily and getting regular dental checkups can greatly reduce your chance of developing periodontitis.

In most cases, periodontitis is preventable. It is usually caused by poor dental hygiene.

Signs and Symptoms of Periodontitis

• Swollen gums
• Bright red or purplish gums
• Gums that feel tender when touched
• Gums that pull away from your teeth (recede), making your teeth look longer than normal
• New spaces developing between your teeth
• Pus between your teeth and gums
• Bad breath
• Bad taste in your mouth
• Loose teeth
• A change in the way your teeth fit together when you bite

Risk Factors

Factors that can increase your risk of periodontitis include:

• Gingivitis
• Heredity
• Poor oral health habits
• Tobacco use
• Diabetes
• Older age
• Decreased immunity, such as that occurring with leukemia, HIV/AIDS or chemotherapy
• Poor nutrition
• Certain medications
• Hormonal changes, such as those related to pregnancy or menopause
• Substance abuse
• Poor-fitting dental restorations
• Problems with the way your teeth fit together when biting

Treatments

Non-Surgical Treatments:

If periodontitis isn't advanced, treatment may involve less invasive procedures, including:

• Scaling. Scaling removes tartar and bacteria from your tooth surfaces and beneath your gums.
• Root Planing. Root planing smoothes the root surfaces, discouraging further buildup of tartar and bacterial endotoxin.
• Antibiotics. Your periodontist or dentist may recommend using topical or oral antibiotics to help control bacterial infection.

Surgical Treatments:

If you have advanced periodontitis, your gum tissue may not respond to non-surgical treatments and good oral hygiene. In that case, periodontitis treatment may require dental surgery, such as:

• Flap surgery (pocket reduction surgery): The healthcare professional performs flap surgery to remove calculus in deep pockets, or to reduce the pocket so that keeping it clean is easier. The gums are lifted back and the tartar is removed. The gums are then sutured back into place so they fit closely to the tooth. After surgery, the gums will heal and high tightly around the tooth. In some cases the teeth may eventually seem longer than they used to.
• Bone and tissue grafts: This procedure helps regenerate bone or gum tissue that has been destroyed. With bone grafting, new natural or synthetic bone is placed where bone was lost, promoting bone growth.

In a procedure called 'guided tissue regeneration', a small piece of mesh-like material is inserted between the gum tissue and bone. This stops the gum from growing into bone space, giving the bone and connective tissue a chance to regrow.

The dentist may also use special proteins (growth factors) that help the body regrow bone naturally.