At Rio Dental & Orthodontics, we usually work hard to help patients of all ages keep their healthy, natural smiles for life. However, there are some cases where tooth removal is the best option to keep patients’ smiles healthy. If you’re in need of tooth extraction, our skilled dentists and dentistry team will provide safe, comfortable tooth removal in one of our two dental practice locations in Irving or Farmers Branch. If you want to find out more about tooth extractions or any of our other dentistry services, give our team a call to schedule a consultation appointment at Rio Dental & Orthodontics of Farmers Branch or Irving.
Why Would I Need to Have a Tooth Extracted?
We will do whatever we can to repair damaged teeth, but when tooth extraction is the best option to keep your smile healthy, we will provide tooth removal in our state-of-the-art dental office.
Some of the reasons we recommend tooth removal include:
- Severe tooth decay or damage that destroys too much of the tooth, leaving us unable to repair it
- In preparation for orthodontic treatment when severe crowding is a factor
- Prior to the crafting and placement of partial or full dentures, one or more teeth may be removed
- When teeth are impacted, unable to erupt, they may need to be surgically removed
- Primary teeth that don’t fall out on their own may be extracted to allow for healthy development of adult teeth
- Third molars, wisdom teeth, are the most frequently extracted
Why are Wisdom Teeth Extracted So Often?
Wisdom teeth are the last to erupt into the smile line, and most patients’ third molars are fully developed between the ages of 17 and 25. Our ancient human ancestors needed their third molars because a coarse diet and no oral hygiene routine meant that they would typically lose one or more teeth by the time these third molars developed. Today, our processed diet and improved oral hygiene mean that patients typically don’t have room within their smiles for this third set of molars. Because there is no room for these teeth, a number of oral health concerns may arise, including:
- Crowding of teeth making it difficult to clean the smile and increasing risk for oral health concerns
- Shifting teeth out of alignment leading to a need for orthodontic treatment or retreatment
- In many cases, wisdom teeth are unable to erupt or erupt in such a way that surrounding teeth are damaged
Does Tooth Extraction Hurt?
At Rio Dental & Orthodontics, we provide safe and comfortable tooth extraction. In some cases, simple local anesthesia is enough to keep patients comfortable as we remove teeth. Additionally, we are happy to offer sedation dentistry options, including nitrous oxide and oral conscious sedation and full sleep dentistry using general anesthesia.
How are Teeth Extracted?
Teeth are extracted in one of two ways. When teeth are fully erupted, they can be pulled. This simply means that a metal tool is used to shift the tooth back and forth until it breaks free from the supportive structures. For teeth that haven’t fully erupted from the gum line, we’ll provide surgical tooth removal. This means we’ll need to cut away soft tissue to reveal the tooth, and we may need to remove supportive bone structures.
What Happens After Tooth Extraction?
Following your tooth extraction, we will provide complete instructions to help you make a full and comfortable recovery. You’ll need to rest for two or three days following tooth removal. For the first few days, you should use ice packs to reduce swelling, pain, and inflammation. Consume only liquids for the first few days and gradually add in soft then solid foods. If you notice any of the following concerns, please call us right away:
- Pain that increases instead of diminishes over time
- Severe swelling that makes it difficult to speak, breathe, or swallow
- Sensitivity to heat and cold after the first few days
- Signs of infection like inflammation, heat at the extraction site, or fever
