Safe, Comfortable Tooth Extractions
In most cases, the Smile Specialties team will work hard to help patients preserve their healthy, natural teeth. However, there are situations where tooth extraction is your best option. When tooth extraction is unavoidable, Jennifer A. Reed, DDS and her Lincoln dental team are happy to offer safe and comfortable tooth removal services. With years of training and experience, Dr. Reed is able to perform effect tooth extraction to help patients maintain their healthiest smiles. Call our team to find out more about tooth extractions or to schedule a consultation with our Lincoln dentist today.
When Would I Need Tooth Extraction?
We will do our best to help you keep your natural teeth for life, but we may recommend tooth extraction in the following situations:
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When severe tooth decay or damage has destroyed too much dental structure, and the tooth cannot support a restoration
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When teeth are too crowded and removal of one or more teeth is necessary to ensure the success of orthodontic treatment
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In preparation for the creation and placement of partial and full dentures, one or more teeth may be extracted to ensure the longevity of your tooth replacement prosthetic
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After the development of wisdom teeth, third molars, we’ll recommend removal if there is inadequate space for these additional molars or they are impacted (unable to erupt from the gums)
How are Tooth Extractions Performed?
The specific procedure will change from case to case, but there are two main types of extraction. Pulling teeth is possible if the tooth has fully erupted from the gums but has not had time to fuse to the jawbone. We can numb the area. Then, we use grasping tools to shift the tooth back and forth until it breaks away from the socket. Surgical extraction is much more common. Most tooth removal is at least partially surgical in that we will need to remove some soft tissue to fully access the tooth. Surgical extraction is typically performed with local anesthesia combined with dental sedation to ensure your comfort throughout the procedure.
Will it Hurt?
During the procedure, you will be completely numbed and will not feel any pain. Following any dental procedure, you will experience some discomfort as the body heals. However, if your pain becomes severe to the point that you can no longer handle the discomfort with pain relieving medications and ice packs, you should call our team right away.
What is Dry Socket and Will I Get It?
Dry socket is a common complication of tooth extraction. Immediately following the removal of a tooth, your body will begin to create a blood clot in the socket. This blood clot protects the extraction site and promotes fast, comfortable healing. Dry socket occurs when the blood clot is prematurely removed or breaks down too quickly. If you experience severe throbbing pain or sensitivity, you may have dry socket. Call our team right away for assistance.
Should I Replace My Extracted Tooth?
In the case of teeth removed to make room for dental alignment and wisdom teeth, you will not need to replace your extracted teeth. Teeth pulled in preparation for dentures are already part of a tooth replacement plan. That leaves teeth that are too decayed or damaged to support a restoration. For these teeth, we do recommend that patients replace the tooth immediately. The longer you wait to restore your smile, the more likely it is that your soft tissue volume and jawbone density will diminish. Additionally, when a gap is left in the smile, surrounding teeth will begin to shift to fill the space. This can lead to serious alignment concerns, so the sooner the tooth is restored the better. We offer a number of tooth replacement options including traditional dental crown supported fixed bridges and dental implant supported dental crowns. We will work with you to find the right tooth replacement option before we ever remove your tooth. We can seamlessly restore your smile, and you’ll spend less time without your full, healthy smile.
