About Me

All About Implants

My teeth were starting to deteriorate, and I was running out of options to repair them. The dentist gave me a choice. I could wait until the bone loss was so bad that I would have to have my teeth removed and get dentures, or I could have them removed now and get dental implants. I opted for the implants. If you’re thinking of getting dental implants, you probably have a lot of questions. I love mine, but they took some getting used to. In this blog, I’m sharing my experience and all the information that I picked up throughout my implant experience. You can find out what the procedure entails, how to prepare for your implants, and how to care for them once they’re in.

Tags

Latest Posts

All About Implants

Prevention Of Post-Extraction Infection

by Alfredo Moore

A tooth extraction is one of the most common dental procedures. It is typically very routine and uncomplicated unless the tooth is deeply impacted, severely infected, or associated with other dental conditions such as periodontal disease. While you will probably enjoy an event-free recovery following your tooth extraction, you will need to consider the following interventions to help prevent a post-extraction infection.

Protect The Clot

After your tooth extraction, you will notice that a clot has formed over the empty space that once occupied your tooth. It is very important that you do not disturb this clot because it helps prevent the socket from becoming infected by oral bacteria.

Once the socket has healed, the protective blood clot will dislodge itself naturally, however, if you lose this protective blood clot before your socket has healed, you may develop a condition known as dry socket. A dry socket can increase the risk of infection, excessive bleeding, and increased pain.

To help keep the clot intact during the healing process, avoid sucking motions with your mouth such as those caused by smoking and swishing your mouth with water. Also, avoid drinking from a straw because this may also cause dry sockets. 

Finish Your Antibiotics

After your dentist has pulled your tooth, they may give you an antibiotic prescription, especially if your tooth was abscessed prior to the extraction. It is very important that you finish all of your antibiotic tablets because if you only consume a portion of your prescription, you may be at a heightened risk for a post-extraction infection.

Certain antibiotics prescribed after dental procedures can cause gastrointestinal disturbances. This is because antibiotics not only kill bad infection-causing bacteria but also healthy, gut-friendly bacteria. When this happens, you may experience abdominal cramps and diarrhea. 

Taking over-the-counter probiotics can help repopulate your gastrointestinal system with good bacteria which will help prevent these symptoms. If you prefer to get your probiotics through the foods you eat, consider eating yogurt that contains live cultures. If you experience gastrointestinal symptoms while taking your antibiotics, do not stop taking them before consulting with your dentist. 

If you are getting a tooth pulled, consider the above post-extraction interventions and see your dentist for a follow-up appointment to help lower your risk of infection. Also, if you experience signs and symptoms of a post-extraction infection such as increased pain, excessive bleeding, a bad taste in your mouth, jaw pain, fever, or muscle pain, see your dentist right away.  

Share