Dr. Jennifer Nguyen and Dr. Sang Kwon Seo will do everything to preserve your natural teeth. However, our dentists may sometimes need to remove one or more bad teeth. Severe tooth infections, impacted teeth, or overcrowding can compromise dental health. Cooper Family Dental offers tooth extraction treatment for patients with problem teeth in Arlington, TX.
Dental extractions are preventative and general dental treatments. Removing a problem tooth can prevent the spread of problems like tooth damage or infection. Removing a bad tooth can also improve your oral health and the comfort of your bite. Our office will ensure that you have a comfortable tooth extraction and help you through the healing process.
Common Reasons for a Dental Extraction
You may need to remove a tooth for many reasons. The most common reasons include:
- Impacted Teeth: An impacted tooth doesn’t have enough room to grow. In most cases, the jaw is too small to accommodate the tooth and gets stuck in the gums or jaw. As a result, impacted teeth can damage adjacent teeth and lead to overcrowding. Food debris can stick between the impacted tooth and another tooth, increasing the risk of gum and tooth decay.
- Severe Infection: Dental cleanings are the first line of defense against tooth infections. If an infection spreads to affect the inside of the tooth, you may need fillings or a root canal. However, we must remove your tooth if you have a severe tooth infection. We will suggest removing and replacing it if your tooth structure is so decayed that we can’t save it.
- Overcrowding: We sometimes recommend removing one or more teeth if you have severe overcrowding. Then, we will recommend orthodontic treatment to straighten them. Removing a tooth will create more space to align teeth.
Tooth Extraction Treatment in Arlington, TX
Dr. Nguyen can perform simple and complex tooth extractions. During a simple extraction, she removes a tooth above the gum line. First, she uses a local anesthetic to numb the tooth. Then, she gently wiggles the tooth back and forth until free. This treatment only takes a couple of minutes.
Complex extractions often need more time. Because of this, we recommend sedation. During a complex extraction, Dr. Nguyen will first use sedation to ensure you don’t feel any pain. Sedation will also help you feel more relaxed during treatment.
A complex extraction removes teeth at or below the gum line. Because these teeth are more difficult to remove, she may need to remove the tooth in pieces.
After the tooth extraction, Dr. Nguyen will place gauze on the tooth sockets. Gauze helps blood clots form to protect the nerves. If these blood clots don’t form or are dislodged, you will get dry socket. Dry socket is very painful. The best treatments for dry socket are pain medication, salt water rinses, and a soft diet.
Removing Wisdom Teeth
Wisdom tooth extractions are among the most common extractions dentists perform. The wisdom teeth grow behind the molars, or back teeth, and are the last adult teeth to grow. They are called wisdom teeth because they often grow later in life, when patients are in their teens or early twenties.
In many cases, wisdom teeth can become impacted because there’s not enough room in the mouth. Impacted wisdom teeth are hard to clean. Harmful bacteria can collect between them and the molars. The wisdom teeth can also dig into and damage the molars.
Removing impacted wisdom teeth can prevent problems like tooth damage and overcrowding. Impacted wisdom teeth can also cause pain and discomfort when they grow. Your wisdom teeth are likely growing if you feel pain behind your molars. Contact us as soon as possible to schedule your tooth extraction treatment.
Tooth Extraction: Post-Op Instructions
After your tooth extraction in our Arlington, TX dental practice, follow these instructions:
- Keep gauze on your extraction site. Gently bite down on the gauze and replace it every 30 minutes until the bleeding stops.
- Avoid smoking or using tobacco products. Nicotine can restrict the blood vessels, which inhibits healing.
- Do not use a straw. The sucking motion can dislodge the blood clot that forms over your extraction site.
- Eat soft foods like pasta and mashed potatoes. Avoid hard and crunchy foods while you’re healing.
- Use a cold compress to reduce inflammation. Only use ice packs for fifteen minutes at a time.
- Take pain medication as prescribed, but only if you have pain. Some medicines can prolong the healing process.
- We will provide you with a pipette to bring home with you. Once you stop bleeding, use the water pipette to rinse food debris from the tooth sockets.
Please contact our office if you have questions as you heal. We will check in on you to ensure your health and comfort.
Tooth Extraction FAQs
Learn more about dental extractions with answers to these popular questions:
Do Tooth Extractions Hurt?
No, we will numb your tooth before removal. Our office will also provide sedation if you have dental anxiety or a longer treatment. We will make sure you are fully comfortable during your tooth extraction treatment. Once you heal from your tooth extraction, you won’t feel pain from your problem teeth anymore.
How Much Is a Tooth Extraction?
The cost of a tooth extraction varies based on several factors. The number of teeth that need to be removed will affect the total expense, as will the type of extraction you need. Simple extractions typically cost less than more complex surgical procedures.
Sedation is another factor since it adds to the overall cost but can make the procedure more comfortable. Finally, your insurance coverage plays a role in determining out-of-pocket expenses. It may reduce the total cost depending on your plan.
How Long Does it Take to Remove a Tooth?
A simple extraction can take minutes to remove a tooth. On the other hand, it can take several hours to remove multiple teeth at or below the gumline. We will provide an estimate of the length of your treatment beforehand, so you know what to expect.
Does it Cost More to Fix or Remove a Tooth?
If possible, our office recommends fixing a tooth before pulling it. Depending on the treatment, it can cost more to fix a tooth. However, in most cases, we must replace a tooth after removing it, which adds to treatment costs.
Do I Need to Remove my Wisdom Teeth?
We will only remove wisdom teeth if they are impacted or at risk of being impacted. If your wisdom teeth grow properly and don’t cause problems for your other teeth, you will not need an extraction.
How Can I Replace My Tooth After an Extraction?
We recommend dental implants to replace single missing teeth or all of your teeth. Implants can support single dental crowns, bridges, or dentures. We recommend implant-supported restorations over traditional or removable restorations because implants act as durable replacement tooth roots.
Get Comfortable Tooth Extraction Treatment Today
Call Cooper Family Dental at 817-646-1217 or schedule an appointment online. If you have any more questions about tooth extraction treatment, please contact our office. We’re here to help.