A tooth extraction is a dental procedure in which Dr. Ren removes a tooth from your mouth. While keeping your natural teeth is always best, sometimes a tooth needs to be removed to protect your overall health. At our Bethlehem dental office, we make sure this process is as comfortable as possible.
We understand that dental procedures can cause anxiety, which is why we take extra steps to make sure you feel comfortable and informed. Many patients tell us they barely felt anything during their extraction. Your comfort is our top priority. We’ll explain what will happen and answer any questions you have. Many patients find that knowing what to expect during the procedure helps them feel more at ease.
Reasons Why You Might Need a Tooth Extraction
There are several reasons why you might need to have a tooth pulled:
- Severe Tooth Decay: When a cavity is too big to be fixed with a filling or crown, the tooth may need to come out.
- Gum Disease: Advanced gum problems can make teeth loose and painful, making removal necessary.
- Crowded Mouth: Sometimes teeth need to be removed to make room for others, especially before braces.
- Broken Tooth: If your tooth is badly broken and can’t be fixed, it might need to be pulled.
- Infection Risk: Teeth that might cause infection are often removed, especially for people with weak immune systems.
- Wisdom Teeth Problems: These back teeth often lack room to grow properly and may need to be removed.
Dr. Ren works with patients who need tooth extractions to ensure this is the most suitable solution for their oral health needs. We also offer tooth replacement options, including dental implants, when needed.
Types of Tooth Extraction Procedures
Simple Extraction
This is pretty straightforward: we’ll remove a tooth that no longer serves a purpose in your mouth. Teeth with large cavities or bone loss are often removed to make room for healthier solutions (think a denture, bridge, or implant).
Surgical Extraction
Sometimes, the removal process is a little bit more involved for teeth that are broken off at the gum line. You’ll still be nice and numb and won’t feel a difference.
Bone Graft
When we’re planning to place an implant in the future (or on the same day), we often recommend adding bone graft into the empty extraction socket and allowing it to heal for a few months.
Membrane
A membrane is sometimes used to help hold the bone graft in the correct spot for optimal healing and long-term success.
Benefits of Wisdom Teeth Removal
Wisdom teeth are the last molars to come in, usually between the ages of 17 and 25. Many people don’t have enough room in their mouths for these teeth, which can cause problems.
Removing wisdom teeth can help:
- Prevent Pain: Impacted wisdom teeth can hurt a lot when they try to push through your gums.
- Stop Damage to Other Teeth: Wisdom teeth can push against your other teeth, causing damage and crowding.
- Reduce Infection Risk: Partially erupted wisdom teeth can trap food and bacteria, leading to infection.
- Make Teeth Cleaning Easier: It’s hard to clean around wisdom teeth, which can lead to cavities and gum disease.
Dr. Ren will recommend wisdom tooth extraction when needed for long-term oral health. We refer wisdom tooth extraction when an impacted tooth needs to be treated with one of our highly recommended oral surgeon colleagues in the area.
Tooth Extraction FAQs
Does tooth extraction hurt?
During an extraction, all you should feel is pressure. You’ll otherwise be very numb. After an extraction, it’s normal to be sore for a few days (even up to 2 weeks), but Motrin and Tylenol taken together do wonders for post-op pain control.
What if it’s a tooth in my smile zone?
If we need to extract a tooth that shows in your smile, we can make you a removable piece called a “flipper” that will act as a stand-in until we can permanently replace your missing tooth with a bridge, implant, or denture.
What if I want or need to replace this tooth in the future?
For any patients hoping for a future implant, we recommend placing a bone graft at the time of extraction in order to preserve the area. After teeth are extracted, the bone begins to shrink, and the sinus can dip into the area. A bone graft helps slow this shrinkage and keeps patients’ options open for implants in the future. Sometimes, we can also place an implant on the same day as your extraction.
Do you extract wisdom teeth?
Yes, we can usually extract erupted wisdom teeth. For all impacted teeth, we can give you a referral to an oral surgeon who we highly recommend.
Will I need stitches?
Depending on how many teeth are being extracted and if you are taking any blood thinners, we may or may not place stitches. If we do, we will be sure to go over post-operative care with you (most stitches that we place are dissolvable on their own).
Will you extract my teeth if I am taking blood thinners?
For patients on Coumadin, we require an INR taken within 48 hours of an extraction or surgical procedure. The INR must be under 3.0. For other patients on blood thinners, we may reach out to your cardiologist/PCP to see if they would like you to hold the medication for a certain amount of time before your procedure.
Schedule An Appointment
If you feel that you need a tooth extraction or have concerns about your dental health and are looking for a new dentist in Bethlehem, contact Dice Dental to schedule an appointment.