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Why you shouldn’t pull your teeth out?

Pulling out your own teeth is an extremely bad idea that can lead to severe complications. This article will explain all the reasons why extracting your own teeth is dangerous and what you should do instead if you have a toothache or other dental issues.

You Will Damage Your Gums and Jawbone

When a tooth is removed properly by a dentist or oral surgeon, care is taken not to damage the surrounding gums and jawbone. However, when you pull out a tooth yourself, you are likely to tear your gums and fracture your jawbone in the process. This can lead to:

  • Excessive bleeding
  • Infection of the socket where the tooth was removed
  • Loss of bone tissue in the area over time

Damaging your jawbone is especially problematic because it weakens the foundation for your teeth. Other teeth around the newly empty socket can loosen or shift into the space over time without the support of the intact jawbone.

You Risk Leaving Root Fragments Behind

When you pull out a tooth, you are likely only removing the crown portion and leaving the root or roots behind. The roots can fracture leaving fragments still embedded in your jawbone. Dentists have specialized tools called elevators and extractors used to carefully loosen teeth and remove every bit of the root. Attempting to pull out a tooth yourself often leaves root pieces still stuck in the bone, which can lead to:

  • Ongoing pain and infection
  • Cysts forming around root fragments
  • The need for additional surgery to remove the remaining roots

Any root tips left behind will likely get infected and can cause severe pain. You would need to have oral surgery later to find and remove the remnants of the tooth root embedded in your jawbone.

You May Lose Healthy Teeth

When you attempt to extract a tooth yourself, especially using unconventional tools like pliers, you can easily damage adjacent healthy teeth in the process. You can loosen or even pull out unintended teeth that are firmly set in your jawbone by accident. This exacerbates your dental problems by creating even more missing teeth that then need treatment.

You May Develop a Serious Infection

Attempting to pull out your own teeth often causes injury and trauma to your gums and the bone tissue in your jaw. This makes it easy for bacteria to enter the bloodstream through the open wounds in your mouth. Oral infections left untreated can spread to other parts of the body and become life-threatening.

Some potential complications of a mouth infection turning serious include:

  • Sepsis – a full body inflammatory response that can lead to organ failure and death
  • Ludwig’s angina – a condition when mouth infections spreads to the floor of the mouth and neck area that restricts breathing
  • Cavernous sinus thrombosis – infection reaches the sinus cavities near the brain, which can become fatal

You May Swallow or Aspirate the Tooth

When you extract a tooth on your own outside of a dental office, you risk accidentally swallowing or inhaling the tooth. This poses a serious choking and aspiration hazard. Swallowing a tooth or having one wedge in your airway can completely block your ability to breathe and lead to death if not removed.

You May Damage the Tooth Below the Gum Line

Teeth have delicate roots below the gum line that anchor them into the bone. If you attempt to pry out or pull on a tooth yourself without having proper access and visualization of the roots, you risk fracturing the roots within your jawbone. This will leave you with a mostly-intact tooth with unseen damage below the gums. These fractures and cracks will likely result in infection and the need for extraction anyway.

Proper Tooth Removal Reduces Infection Risk

Dentists have specialized training to remove teeth in a way that minimizes trauma and reduces the chances of complications. Here are some of the methods they use:

  • They numb the area with local anesthetic to avoid pain.
  • They detach ligaments and gently loosen the tooth before removal.
  • They use instruments designed for extractions to avoid bone and gum damage.
  • They ensure the entire root is removed along with the crown.
  • They smooth sharp edges of the socket after removing the tooth.
  • They use stitches or collagen sponges to help the socket clot properly.

These controlled techniques reduce tissue trauma, bleeding, infection risks, and other issues that can accompany amateur extractions. They also help preserve as much jawbone as possible to support remaining teeth.

You May Damage Nearby Teeth

When you attempt to extract a tooth yourself, it is almost impossible to avoid putting force on nearby teeth. Extreme pressure applied accidentally to adjacent teeth can:

  • Fracture healthy teeth
  • Dislodge properly set teeth from the bone
  • Loosen other teeth that were firmly attached

This can end up costing you more time, pain and money as you then need to seek treatment for unintended dental injuries caused by the DIY extraction attempt.

You May Develop a Sinus Infection

Your upper back teeth have roots that lie in close proximity to your sinus cavity. If you attempt to pull out one of these upper molars without proper sinus precautions, you risk puncturing the sinus membrane during the extraction. Complications include:

  • Acute or chronic sinus infections
  • An oral-antral fistula requiring surgery

Dentists take special care when removing upper molars to avoid damaging the integrity of the sinus space. Carelessly ripping out these teeth without training increases the likelihood of collateral sinus issues.

You May Cause Nerve Injuries

Teeth are connected to complex nerves that provide sensation and function. Pulling and twisting on teeth without proper technique can potentially damage nerves such as:

  • Inferior alveolar – provides lower teeth feeling
  • Infraorbital – provides upper cheek sensation
  • Lingual – provides tongue feeling

Nerve injuries during extraction can lead to pain, bleeding, numbness or loss of sensory feeling. Lingual nerve damage may cause loss of taste. Dentists are careful to avoid nerve impingement when removing teeth.

You May Lose Bone Tissue Over Time

After a tooth is lost, the area of the jawbone it occupied can deteriorate over time without the stimulation from the tooth roots. Improper extractions where the socket doesn’t heal properly accelerates bone loss. This can cause:

  • Changes in appearance due to less support for facial tissues
  • Loose and shifting teeth
  • Need for bone grafting before placing a dental implant

Dentists take steps to encourage bone preservation and regeneration after extractions. Unskilled procedures often result in added bone volume loss.

You Increase Your Risk of a Painful Dry Socket

Dry socket (alveolar osteitis) occurs when a blood clot fails to form properly in the empty tooth socket after an extraction. This exposes bone and nerves endings to air, food, fluid, and bacteria and can cause intense, throbbing pain that is not easily relieved by pain medication. Dry socket risk increases with:

  • Difficult or traumatic extractions
  • Improper at-home post-op care
  • Smoking and tobacco use
  • Oral contraceptive use

Carefully performed professional extractions and following post-op instructions lessens the chances of suffering from dry socket.

You May Break Tools Used for Extraction

Your teeth are anchored very firmly in your jawbone. Using household tools like pliers to try removing them often results in broken equipment. Pieces of metal and plastic can break off and become lodged in your gums or throat. Professional dental elevators used by oral surgeons are designed not to snap or fracture during procedures.

You May Need Emergency Surgery to Fix Problems

If you develop any number of serious complications from attempting a self-extraction, such as severe infection, sinus perforation or nerve impingement, you may need emergency surgery to resolve issues that become life-threatening. Seeking emergency room treatment can be very costly for major dental repairs needed following a bad extraction.

You May Require Extensive Dental Repairs

Even if you successfully extract a tooth yourself, problems like fractured jawbone and shifted teeth will likely require significant dental work later:

  • Tooth site preservation procedures
  • Bone grafting
  • Ridge augmentation
  • Bite adjustments
  • Orthodontics

This restorative dentistry can become complex, lengthy and expensive.

You May Lose Your Job Due to Missed Work

Serious health complications that result from botched self-extractions can force you to be hospitalized and miss substantial work time while recovering. Surgeries, infections, injuries and the resulting pain can keep you out of work for an extended period. This puts your job at risk due to:

  • Using up all paid time off
  • Violating attendance policies
  • Inability to perform work duties
  • Prolonged unpaid leave

Pulling your own teeth can jeopardize your ability to work and lead to job loss.

Self-Extractions Are Not Recommended

No dentist or doctor recommends pulling your own teeth at home. Here are guidelines from leading health organizations:

  • The American Dental Association strongly advises against self-extractions due to the dangers and urges people to see a dentist.
  • The British Dental Association calls extractions without professional care “extremely unwise” due to risks of pain, infection and bleeding.
  • The American Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons states that extracting teeth at home can cause fractured jawbones, dry sockets and spread infections.

There are no dental or medical groups that advocate homemade extractions. All caution against the potential for harmful outcomes and complications.

See a Dentist for Safe Extraction and Ongoing Care

Instead of pulling a painful or damaged tooth yourself, make an appointment with a dentist for a proper extraction using sterile technique. A professional will:

  • Examine your tooth and take x-rays to determine if extraction is needed
  • Administer local anesthetic for numbness
  • Carefully remove the tooth minimizing bone and gum trauma
  • Clean the site thoroughly and control bleeding
  • Stitch closed larger sockets
  • Provide post-operative care instructions
  • Treat or monitor for potential complications
  • Discuss tooth replacement options like implants or bridges

This provides the safest environment for removal and continued dental health. Avoid self-extraction and have a dental provider perform careful extractions when required.

Seeking Emergency Dental Care

If you are in severe pain from a damaged tooth, you have options for emergency help including:

  • Contact your regular dentist to see if they can get you in urgently
  • Go to an emergency walk-in dental clinic
  • Visit a hospital emergency room for pain relief and antibiotics until you can see a dentist

Many dental offices offer emergency appointment slots to treat patients with acute dental symptoms that require immediate attention. You can likely be seen right away or the next day.

Using Temporary Pain Relief Until Your Appointment

To manage symptoms until your emergency dental appointment, you can:

  • Take over-the-counter pain relievers like acetaminophen or ibuprofen
  • Rinse with warm salt water
  • Use OTC topical dental numbing gel
  • Avoid chewing on the affected side

Don’t allow the pain and discomfort lead you to make the dangerous decision to extract the tooth yourself. Seek professional emergency options.

Exploring Payment Options for Uninsured Care

If you lack dental insurance, many clinics offer payment programs and discounted cash rates. You may also be able to receive care at:

  • Dental schools with reduced-fee clinics
  • Community health centers on a sliding scale basis
  • Non-profit dental clinics providing services for free or low cost based on income

Payment and loans for an emergency extraction may also be arranged with your dentist. Just be sure to avoid “do-it-yourself dentistry” without professional help.

When a Tooth Should Be Pulled

There are times when extracting a tooth is the best option. Common reasons dentists recommend removal include:

  • Severe tooth decay
  • Advanced periodontal disease
  • Broken or fractured teeth
  • Supernumerary or extra teeth crowding space
  • Severely impacted wisdom teeth
  • Teeth blocking orthodontic movement
  • Advanced dental abscesses
  • Preparation for dentures

However, your dentist will determine if extraction is absolutely necessary and refer you to an oral surgeon if needed.

Signs You May Need a Tooth Pulled

Here are signs it may be time to have a damaged tooth removed:

  • Tooth is loose, painful or sensitive to temperature changes
  • Tooth feels different when you bite down
  • Visible cracks, fractures or breakdown of the tooth
  • Tooth is non-restorable from significant decay
  • Pus discharge from around tooth and gum swelling
  • Tooth no longer has an opposing tooth to bite against

Schedule an exam if you notice any of these issues to determine if extraction is required.

X-rays Help Determine Extraction Need

Dentists often take x-rays to diagnose issues to evaluate if a tooth needs extraction. X-rays help identify:

  • Areas of decay not visible clinically
  • Abscesses at the root tips
  • Cysts developing
  • Damaged root surfaces and fractures
  • Inadequate space for wisdom teeth

The images allow your dentist to see the full extent of what is happening both above and below the gum line to make the best treatment recommendations.

Conclusion

While you may have a damaged or painful tooth you want to remove, extracting teeth yourself can have serious consequences. Leave it to trained professionals to safely handle extractions and ongoing dental care in a sterile clinic environment. Schedule an urgent dental appointment if you have acute symptoms and avoid the dangers of self-extraction.