Ask The Dental Hygienist

Once a tooth has been extracted, bacteria will still be alive in the mouth, even more so with those who have bad oral hygiene. Infections are very common following extractions. Depending on how bad the tooth was that the dentist removed, he may prescribe you some antibiotics to take that will greatly reduce your risk of getting an infection. In some cases though, even antibiotics can’t prevent an infection.

If you go to the dentist before the extraction experienced swelling of the face, swollen gums, pain in your teeth under light pressure, or bleeding around the extraction site, then you may already have an infection. If you indeed have an infection before you get the tooth treated, the dentist will prescribe you antibiotics to use following treatment. If you have a really bad abscess, you’ll need to use antibiotics to treat the infection before the dentist will remove the tooth.

In some cases, people develop an infection after the extraction, even though they may not have been infected beforehand. The reason for this, is bacteria. Following an extraction, bacteria will be more alive in the mouth than ever before. With the extraction site being exposed, the bacteria will be able to get into the site. This can lead to an infection due to the site being exposed and the fact that you are unable to use mouthwash or brush during the first 24 – 48 hours. Not being able to sterilize your mouth means that you are unable to kills the germs responsible for bacteria.

After extractions, the first sign of infection is renewed bleeding. This normally occurs around 48 hours after the extraction. Even though it normally isn’t severe, you should still call your dentist and make an appointment to be seen. Your dentist will be able to stop the bleeding and give you some antibiotics and other prescriptions that will fix the problem.

Some dentists prefer to give patients antibiotics before they will do any type of extraction. Although you may not have an abscess, most dentists prefer to get rid of the infection before they start doing their work. They do this because they know the local anesthesia won’t work all that good with infections, and it may take them a lot of work and a lot of medicine to numb the area that you have the infection in.

In the event that the tooth has to be removed and the dentist simply cannot wait a few days, it is possible to get you numbed. Although it will take quite a bit of medicine to numb the area, it can be done. Sometimes, dentists will choose to use an IV sedation or laughing gas, in the event that local numbing doesn’t help. An IV sedation will normally put you to sleep or knock you out, so that the dentist can remove the tooth that is causing you so much trouble.

Even though infections can cause a lot of pain and need to be dealt with immediately, you may not have to take antibiotics once the dentist has extracted the tooth. If your mouth is clean and you don’t have a lot of germs, you can normally heal the would by taking care of it. Rinsing your mouth out with salt water for the first few days will keep the extraction site clean. As long as you take care of the extraction site and do what your dentist tells you, you shouldn’t have any further problems with the extraction site or the infection.

Mouth fresheners make a great deal of sense. There could something especially aromatic in food that you eat away from home, or perhaps you are partial to garlic and onions. It is rare to have friends and family muster the courage to tell you that you may have halitosis, though this will not be the case with even the friendliest dentist. Mouth fresheners that you can buy without prescriptions do not constitute bad breath treatment in any case. Temporary relief is simply not good enough if the problem recurs often, or if it seems unrelated to food habits.

A dentist will need to make a thorough examination of the insides of your mouth, to determine whether you have halitosis, before deciding on a course of bad breath treatment to deal with the specifics of your case. Sometimes, just drinking water frequently, or chewing gum may suffice to deal with a dry mouth, which concentrates malodorous substances in exhaled breath. Children may often be guilty of improper brushing, though adults can be careless in this respect as well. Removing stale coating from the tongue, and dislodging pieces of food stuck between teeth, are other personal habits which may suffice by way of bad breath treatment. A dentist can also remove accumulated plaque, deal with diseases of the gums, and prescribe antibiotics, as forms of bad breath treatment.

Bad Breath Treatment beyond Your Mouth

Dentists cannot manage all cases of halitosis on their own. Gum diseases can be quite deep seated, and may need reference to a specialist in this field. However, not all cases of bad breath originate inside the mouth. A dentist may send a patient with halitosis to a physician to deal with a systemic cause. Ketones are smelly chemicals, which are excreted through urine, perspiration, and through exhaled breath as well. Ketones build up in blood to levels which result in halitosis if a person has diabetes, has been starving, or has inadequate carbohydrate intake. Ketosis can be life threatening, so halitosis may be an indication of a serious medical condition. That is why every case of persistent bad breath deserves professional attention.

Fortunately, bad breath treatment is relatively simple once the underlying cause has been determined. However, it can recur if a patient does not follow prescriptions, or change personal habits which lead to the problem. Bad breath may develop at any time, so being free of it at one point of time does not rule out the possibility of developing it later. It is best to ask an intimate friend or a member of the family to check periodically, and to keep every appointment with a dentist.