If you’re considering having a tooth extracted, you may have heard the term “oral surgery.” But what does it mean? Oral surgery is a broad term used to describe a variety of procedures that are performed on the mouth and related soft tissues. In many cases, oral surgery is considered an outpatient procedure—meaning you can go home the same day.
The Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Department at [hospital name] offers a range of services to meet your oral health needs. We offer teeth extraction to patients who need the procedure done quickly and in a safe environment. Our staff are highly trained professionals who specialize in this kind of work and will make sure your experience is as comfortable as possible.
Read on to learn more ABOUT Is Tooth Extraction Considered Oral Surgery, Botox For Hooded Eyelids and The Botox Treatment for Hooded Eyelids
Is Tooth Extraction Considered Oral Surgery
While many teens and some adults get their wisdom teeth removed, there are other reasons why tooth extraction may be necessary in adulthood.
Excessive tooth decay, tooth infection, and crowding can all require a tooth extraction. Those who get braces may need one or two teeth removed to provide room for their other teeth as they shift into place. Additionally, those who are undergoing chemotherapy or are about to have an organ transplant may need compromised teeth removed in order to keep their mouth healthy.
Tooth extraction is performed by a dentist or oral surgeon and is a relatively quick outpatient procedure with either local, general, intravenous anesthesia, or a combination. Removing visible teeth is a simple extraction. Teeth that are broken, below the surface, or impacted require a more involved procedure.
How much does a tooth extraction cost?
The cost for tooth extraction varies widely depending on whether the tooth is impacted. Simple extraction usually costs between $75 and $200 per tooth, and may be more depending on the type of anesthesia you need.
The cost to remove impacted teeth is significantly higher and can land anywhere between $800 and $4,000. Where you live can also impact how much you pay for the procedure, as many services are tailored to an area’s cost of living.
How to prepare for a tooth extraction
Before scheduling the procedure, your dentist will take an X-ray of your tooth. Be sure to tell your dentist about any medications you take, as well as vitamins, supplements, and over-the-counter drugs.
Tell your dentist if you will soon be treated for another medical condition with an intravenous drug called a bisphosphonate. If so, the extraction should be done before the drug treatment, or your jaw could be at risk for osteonecrosis (bone death).
Also, tell your dentist about any of the following conditions:
- a congenital heart defect
- diabetes
- liver disease
- thyroid disease
- renal disease
- hypertension
- an artificial joint
- damaged heart valves
- adrenal disease
- an impaired immune system
- a history of bacterial endocarditis
Your dentist may want to make sure all conditions are stable or treated before you undergo the tooth extraction. You might be prescribed antibiotics in the days leading up to the procedure if:
- your surgery is expected to be long
- you have an infection or a weakened immune system
- you have a specific medical condition
It’s helpful to keep the following in mind for the day of the tooth extraction in order to ensure quality treatment:
- If you will be receiving intravenous (IV) anesthesia, wear a short-sleeved shirt or loose-fitted clothing, and don’t eat or drink for six to eight hours before your appointment.
- Don’t smoke beforehand.
- Tell your dentist if you have a cold, as you may need to reschedule.
- Tell your dentist if you had nausea or vomiting the night before, which may require different anesthesia or rescheduling.
- If you’re receiving general anesthesia, have someone with you to drive you home.
What is the procedure for a tooth extraction?
Your tooth extraction will either be simple or surgical, depending on whether your tooth is visible or impacted.
Simple extraction
You will receive a local anesthetic, which numbs the area around your tooth so you’ll feel only pressure, not pain, during the procedure. The dentist then uses an instrument called an elevator to loosen the tooth and forceps to remove it.
Surgical extraction
You will likely receive both local anesthesia and intravenous anesthesia, the latter of which makes you calm and relaxed. You may also receive general anesthesia, depending on any medical conditions. With general anesthesia, you will remain unconscious during the procedure.
The general dentist or oral surgeon will cut into your gum with a small incision. They may need to remove bone around your tooth or cut your tooth before it can be extracted.
What are the risks of a tooth extraction?
There are a few risks for undergoing a tooth extraction; however, if your dentist recommends the procedure, the benefits likely outweigh the small chance of complications.
Usually after a tooth extraction, a blood clot naturally forms in the socket — the hole in the bone where the tooth has been extracted. However, if the blood clot does not form or dislodges, the bone inside the socket can be exposed — referred to as “dry socket.” If this happens, the dentist will protect the area by putting a sedative dressing over it for a few days. During this time, a new clot will form.
Other risks include:
- bleeding that lasts longer than 12 hours
- severe fever and chills, signaling an infection
- nausea or vomiting
- cough
- chest pain and shortness of breath
- swelling and redness at the surgical site
Contact your dentist if you experience any of these symptoms.
What is the recovery period from a tooth extraction?
It normally takes a few days to recover after a tooth extraction. The following steps help ensure that your recovery goes smoothly.
- Apply an ice pack to your cheek directly after the procedure to reduce swelling. Use the ice pack for 10 minutes each time.
- After the dentist places the gauze pad over the affected area, bite down to reduce bleeding and to aid in clot formation. Leave the gauze on for three to four hours, or until the pad is soaked with blood.
- Take any medications as prescribed, including over-the-counter painkillers.
- Rest and relax for the first 24 hours. Do not jump immediately into your regular routine the following day.
- Don’t use a straw for the first 24 hours.
- Don’t smoke.
- Don’t rinse for 24 hours after the tooth extraction, and spit only gently.
- Use pillows to prop your head up when you lie down.
- Brush and floss your teeth like normal, but avoid the extraction site.
- The day after the procedure, eat soft foods, such as yogurt, pudding, and applesauce.
- After 24 hours, add a half-teaspoon of salt to eight ounces of warm water to rinse out your mouth.
- As you heal over the next few days, you can slowly reintroduce other foods into your diet.
If you are experiencing pain that isn’t going away after several days or signs of an infection —including fever, pain, and pus or drainage from the incision — make an appointment to see your dentist as soon as possible.
Botox For Hooded Eyelids
When your eyelids droop and sag, it can be a cosmetic problem. Sagging eyelids can potentially make someone look older and more tired than they actually feel and look. Additionally, when the eyelids droop, they can give rise to medical concerns, as the eyelids could disrupt your vision. While you may have heard that a surgical procedure exists to correct the issue, which is known as blepharoplasty, you may not realize that a less invasive treatment exists – an injection of Botox.
Botox is a viable means to alleviate your hooded eyelids. However, you may be wondering, to what extent can Botox help? At Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinic of San Diego, we want to help you address your hooded eyelid concerns by utilizing Botox.
What Are Hooded Eyelids?
Hooded eyelids are a cosmetic and medical concern that can occur for several reasons. The condition, known as ptosis, can result from the levator muscle weakening, which is the muscle that holds up your eyelids or can also result from continuous pulling on your eyelids. Actions, such as putting on makeup, can contribute to sagging eyelid skin if not done gently. While it may seem that hooded eyelids are only apparent in an older generation, they can also occur in children either because of trauma or due to neurological reasons. In short, hooded eyelids are a common condition. If left untreated, the eyelid skin can eventually sag enough to disrupt your vision and lead to secondary conditions such as headaches.
What Is Botox?
Botox is a neurotoxin that consists of botulinum toxin Type A. When this neurotoxin is injected into a muscle, it blocks specific nerve receptors from receiving a signal. Blocking this signal prevents muscle movement from occurring, effectively keeping the skin from folding over. For this reason, a Botox injection is commonly used as a way to prevent wrinkles from forming. Botox was initially FDA-approved to treat muscle eye spasms in 1989. Still, the cosmetic benefits were soon realized, causing it to become one of the most popular cosmetic treatments worldwide.
What Botox Can Treat
Botox is commonly utilized to treat what are known as dynamic wrinkles. These wrinkles are not the result of the natural aging process, which is instead referred to as static wrinkles. Instead, dynamic wrinkles are a type of wrinkle that results in facial movements made over the years. From a frown to a smile, any form of facial movement causes various facial muscles to move. When they are made consistently enough, the wrinkles can eventually appear to be permanently imprinted on the face. Dynamic wrinkles are apparent around the mouth, forehead, nose and eyes.
When Botox Is Appropriate for Hooded Eyelids
A Botox injection is an appropriate treatment for hooded eyelids. The treatment can treat a low eyebrow position or slight brow drooping, which is causing the eyelids to hang lower than they should be. Botox can be injected into the outer end of the eyebrow to elevate the eyebrow slightly. By elevating the eyebrow slightly, Botox lifts the upper eyelid and reveals a small amount of eyelid skin. Botox is a short-term solution for treating hooded eyelids. The neurotoxin’s effects will gradually wear off, and the eyebrow muscles will regain their strength. Usually, a Botox injection lasts approximately two to three months.
When Botox Cannot Help Hooded Eyelids
If your hooded eyelids are the result of an excessive amount of eyelid skin or because of a more pronounced brow droop, Botox is not a viable treatment. There are no neurotoxins that can reduce or tighten the skin. This means that if hooded eyelids are a medical concern, then Botox will be an ineffective solution. Instead, patients would be recommended blepharoplasty, which is a surgical procedure that removes excess eyelid skin. Blepharoplasty is an ideal solution for hooded eyelids because it produces long-lasting results.
However, the surgical procedure could be unfavorable if hooded eyelids result from minor skin sagging or a slightly drooping eyebrow. Blepharoplasty can be a potentially extensive procedure, is costly and poses more risks than Botox. It’s essential to weigh the benefits of Botox compared to blepharoplasty when deciding which treatment is the better option.
The Botox Treatment for Hooded Eyelids
Treating hooded eyelids with Botox is a relatively simple process. The treatment involves injecting Botox into your lower forehead and the outer ends of your eyebrows. When injected, it will paralyze the muscle by effectively preventing nerve receptors that prompt muscle movement. The treatment paralyzes the depressor muscle, which causes the eyebrow to droop, while the elevator muscle, which raises the eyebrow, remains untouched. The treatment will raise the brow a few millimeters. While this does not sound like a significant amount, it will still effectively give you a more open and alert look.
Utilizing Botox to treat hooded eyelids is best performed under the guidance of an expert injector. If not, the treatment can potentially create superficial results. At Dermacare Laser & Skin Care Clinic, our injectors are well adept at treating hooded eyelids with Botox.
Iopidine eye drops botox
While it may sound like science fiction, the FDA-approved eye lifting drop is real: UPNEEQ® is a prescription eye drop that temporarily improves droopy eyelids, or ptosis, with a single daily dose. While you won’t get the more dramatic results you can expect from eyelid lift surgery, patients see an average of about 1 mm of lift in their upper eyelid after the first use—just enough to make a noticeable difference.
For cosmetic surgeons, this first-of-its-kind non-surgical treatment for eyelid ptosis creates an option that many patients will benefit from, including those not ready for eyelid surgery or who are suffering from low-lying eyelids due to BOTOX® injections. Below, we answer your top questions about Upneeq.
What are droopy eyelids (blepharoptosis)?
The medical name for droopy eyelids is blepharoptosis (blepharo = eyelid, ptosis = sagging). Eyelids that droop may lead you to appear tired, and your eyes may look smaller than they normally are. It can also interfere with the function of your eyes.
Droopy eyelids have numerous possible causes, including aging, genetics, eye surgery, certain underlying medical conditions, or even Botox that inadvertently travels to the eyelid muscles after injection in the forehead.
What is acquired blepharoptosis, and how is it different?
Droopy eyelids may be either congenital (present from birth) or acquired, which means that they develop over time (i.e. because of aging). Congenital droopy eyelids cannot be treated with Upneeq, and may require corrective surgery. Acquired blepharoptosis may be treated with Upneeq.
If the cause of your droopy eyelids is unclear, but sure to visit an ophthalmologist first for an eye exam to rule out an underlying medical condition. Serious neurological or eye conditions can also cause eyelid ptosis, including stroke and/or cerebral aneurysm, Horner syndrome, myasthenia gravis, external ophthalmoplegia, orbital infection, and orbital masses.
How are droopy eyelids treated?
Many patients seek eyelid lift surgery to treat cases of droopy eyelids, whether for cosmetic or medical reasons. Upneeq is a revolutionary second option: it is the first treatment specifically approved by the FDA to treat acquired droopy eyelids.
How does Upneeq work?
Upneeq (oxymetazoline hydrochloride ophthalmic solution), 0.1% is an eye drop that should be inserted once a day, one drop per eye. (Each single-use vial of Upneeq contains enough solution to treat one or both eyes at a time.) Upneeq contains oxymetazoline, an alpha adrenergic agonist that triggers the levator palpebrae muscle (Muller’s or Mueller’s muscle), causing the muscle to contract and raise the upper eyelid.
Upneeq works by stimulating an involuntary eyelid muscle, the Muller’s muscle, to contract.
In clinical studies, the average amount of upper eyelid lift was 1 mm. While this minor lift will not give you the dramatic results possible with surgery, this small lift can be cosmetically and/or medically beneficial to many patients.
Photo: Upneeq
How long does Upneeq last?
Each dose (one drop daily) of Upneeq was shown to be effective for at least 6 hours in clinical studies.
Is Upneeq FDA-approved to be safe and effective?
Yes, Upneeq is FDA-approved to be both safe and effective for the treatment of acquired eyelid ptosis in adults. To gain FDA approval, Upneeq showed effectiveness in two 6-week trials that followed 304 patients with acquired blepharoptosis. A third study was also conducted to establish that the eye drop is safe.
The main ingredient in Upneeq, oxymetazoline hydrochloride, is the same primary ingredient in decongestant nasal spray, such as Afrin®. In nasal spray, the ingredient works by stimulating the blood vessels to contract, while in Upneeq, this ingredient works to stimulate eyelid muscle contraction.
A single drop of Upneeq gives most patients a temporary eyelid lift of about 1 mm.
What are the side effects from Upneeq?
In clinical trials, a range of side effects were observed in 1-5% of patients and included eye inflammation or irritation, redness, dry eye, blurred vision, headache, redness in the lining inside and at the front of the eye (conjunctival hyperemia), and inflammation of the cornea (punctate keratitis). Eye pain is also possible around the time that Upneeq drops are used.
How many times a day can I use Upneeq?
Upneeq should only be used as prescribed: one dose, once daily. Work with your doctor to decide how long it is appropriate for you to use Upneeq, and follow their recommendations.
Can Upneeq cause rebound redness?
Using Upneeq may lead to rebound redness (rebound hyperemia), which can occur with use of certain eye drops, such as Visine® or other over-the-counter products, that relieve redness by constricting blood vessels. Rebound redness is a persistent redness that develops after your eye becomes accustomed to a redness-relieving eye drop. While Upneeq is not prescribed for redness relief, the active ingredient may constrict blood vessels, and could lead to this redness. Contact your doctor if you experience more redness than normal, or any other symptoms, while you are using Upneeq.
Upneeq underwent thorough clinical trials to receive FDA-approval for acquired blepharoptosis, or “droopy eyelids.”
Can I use Upneeq with my other eye drops?
Yes, you can likely use Upneeq with other eye drops. After using Upneeq, wait 15 minutes before using any other eye drops (or inserting contact lenses). Be sure to talk to your doctor about all of the prescription and over the counter medications and eye drops you use in your consultation to ensure that they are safe to use with Upneeq.
Who is a good candidate for Upneeq?
If you have mild, moderate, or severe eyelid ptosis (sagging), and you are not taking any medications that will interfere with Upneeq, then you may be a good candidate for the eye-lifting drop. Disclose all of your medications and supplements, as well as your medical history, with your board certified cosmetic surgeon or ophthalmologist in order to determine if you are a good candidate. Upneeq may affect blood pressure and amine metabolism, and therefore may interfere with certain prescription medications, including:
- Beta-blockers
- Anti-hypertensive medications
- Cardiac glycosides
- Monoamine oxidase inhibitors
How does Upneeq compare to eyelid lift surgery?
Upneeq helps those with acquired blepharoptosis, or droopy eyelids that develop over time, and is ideal for temporary use—but it can only achieve mild improvement of ptosis. As such, Upneeq is not a substitute for eyelid lift surgery (blepharoplasty), which offers results that are lasting and can treat both genetic and acquired droopy eyelids. Upneeq can be considered a helpful but temporary alternative to surgery for those who are not prepared to have a surgical eyelid lift.