All About Tooth Extractions

Reasons for Teeth Extractions

Sometimes a damaged or decayed tooth can be fixed with a filling or a crown. Other times, however, the problem can be so severe or the damage or decay so advanced that only having a tooth removed can solve it.

There are many reasons why you may need to have a tooth removed from your mouth – or extracted – including:

• It comes loose.
• It gets too damaged to repair, such as from injury or trauma.
• It gets too decayed from infection, such as gum disease, or the decay has reached too deeply into the tooth.
• It crowds out or risks damaging other teeth (ie. your mouth doesn’t have enough room to accommodate all your teeth.)
• Baby teeth haven’t fallen out in enough time to make room for permanent “adult” teeth.
• It’s difficult to clean and keep free of bacteria and plaque.
• The orthodontist needs to make room for teeth to shift into place.
• Wisdom teeth, or third molars, are coming in and need to be removed.

What Does a Tooth Extraction Cost?

Many factors influence how much it costs to have a tooth pulled. One of the biggest factors is whether it’s a simple extraction or a surgical extraction. With a simple extraction, the dentist numbs the tooth and uses tools like forceps to pull it out; with a surgical extraction, the dentist or oral surgeon needs to make an incision in the gums first in order to remove all of the tooth.

Most dental plans do not include tooth extraction insurance coverage. But, if you have dental insurance with coverage for removing a tooth, it may cover part or all of the costs depending on the terms of the policy.

What a Dentist in McLean Does in a Tooth Extraction Procedure

The tooth removal procedure differs somewhat depending on several different factors, like which tooth needs extraction, whether more than one tooth needs extraction and how far their damage or decay has progressed.

Before a Tooth Extraction in McLean

Your dentist in McLean will review your dental history and take the necessary dental X-rays. This will inform the dentist of the ideal way to pull the tooth and whether or not to bring in an oral surgeon.

During the Extraction

The dentist may use a local anesthetic, which only numbs a particular area, or a general anesthetic, which affects the entire body and may put you to sleep; or the dentist may use a combination of both. He or she will then use special tools to loosen and remove the affected tooth or teeth. While you’re having a tooth pulled, you shouldn’t feel any pain, though you may feel some pressure. You may hear some sounds as well.

Afterward, the dentist may place a bone graft in order for the extraction site to properly heal. He or she may also or instead use stitches. It may take you one or two days to recover, during which you should avoid going to work or school or doing any heavy lifting or other strenuous activity, including athletic activity. In about 24 hours, you may resume work and regular tasks with your dentist’s approval and as long as they aren’t physically demanding; it’ll take another 24 to 48 hours before you may be ready to resume physically demanding activity, again with your dentist’s permission. During this time, avoid smoking, drinking alcohol, or drinking anything through a straw.

Your dentist in McLean will also provide you with guidance on ways to care for the extraction site to ensure full tooth extraction healing, like which painkillers are best and how to reach the dentist’s office if you need to do so.

In most cases, you should feel fully recovered from getting a tooth pulled in only a few days. However, for the jawbone to heal completely, it generally takes several weeks. As such, if you intend to replace the pulled tooth with an implant, chances are you’ll have to wait out those months to enable a complete recovery.

To discuss whether you need a tooth extracted, give our dental office in McLean a call today. We’ll schedule an appointment with you for a full dental exam, answer all your questions and help you figure out the best plan moving forward for your total dental health.